this skate movie features jaden smith and black girls in a male-dominated field

There’s no better place for a hero’s journey than New York City especially when our hero is a teenage skater on the road to self-discovery. From the directed of ‘The Wolfpack’ Crystal Moselle,’Skate Kitchen’ follows the life of Camille, an introverted teenage skateboarder who befriends an all-girl skateboarding crew that spend their days gliding through the streets of Manhattan. Camille resides in Long Island, a place that seems a world away from the comparatively chaotic small universe that is Manhattan.

The skate crew open up a whole new world for Camille, providing an escape from her complicated relationship with her mother. The candid chatter, quick jokes and in-depth conversations about “The Mandela Affect” mixed in with swooping, hypnotic skating sequences form an intriguing portrait of girlhood and freedom that defines this collective Camille has immersed herself in. The film is bursting with raw female energy as these girls navigate life like they navigate Manhattan and its skateparks, by gliding towards, around and through any obstacle in their way.

The story explores the rituals that constitute girlhood, even in a male-dominated environment like a skate park. Girlhood sits at the forefront of the movie, even when dealing with the inevitable complications like teenage attraction and jealousy. Devon (played by Jaden Smith) serves as Camille’s love interest and complicates Camille’s new-found family dynamic. Even with such complications, the “rowdy ass girl crew” find their way back to each other, depicting the sense of home and freedom in friendships that allow you to embrace who you are.

Skate Kitchen is a stunning homage to skating, but most importantly, rebellion and the hidden wisdom found in navigating adolescence in modern times. Not many films out there explore falling on your ass and getting back up quite so eloquently – especially in a female-led narrative. All-in-all, this film is VALID. Catch it in cinemas soon and you’ll know just what I mean.