Vilcek Foundation

Director: Kai Sehr
Screenwriter: Nadia Hennrich
Producers: Rene Kock, Oliver Percovich
Cinematographer: Kalle Dobrick
Cast: Sharna Nolan, Oliver Percovich

Synopsis: Oliver Percovich and Sharna Nolan come to Kabul in 2007 bringing only a few skateboards with them. They have an idea to set up daily sessions with kids, to connect with them through skateboarding. They begin skating in an abandoned water fountain, attracting a few of the nearby children; soon those numbers multiply, attracting both boys and girls of all ages. These humble beginnings soon transform into the first school for skateboarding — they called it Skateistan. Skateistan’s goal is to bring hope to those without it while at the same time bridging the gap between gender, ethnicity, and class.

As the skating sessions grow, however, so do the mounting problems to keep the program alive. One problem is that girls are forbidden to skate in public with boys beyond the age of 12. This becomes the seed for one of Ollie and Sharna’s most inspired ideas: build a state-of-the-art indoor skate park. For Ollie and Sharna, breaking barriers is one thing; bringing hope and happiness to children in a war-torn country is everything.

—Jason Pila