Watch: Skateboarding x Architecture in ‘Brutalism’

 

We’re used to seeing skate films that only showcase, well, skateboarding. Brutalism, a new abstract, conceptual piece directed by Dylan Boerstra and Renze Roye, changes that, eerily and beautifully –  bringing to life the gritty, angular canvas of the streets and buildings where this urban art form plays out.

 

Watch Brutalism:

While Cape Town has a spirited skating culture, the varied architecture also makes it the experimental playground of every skater’s dreams – yet, it rarely receives equal screen time. Brutalism brings together these two worlds in one beautiful, succinct body of work. The monochromatic mini-film is an abstracted view of how skateboarders utilise urban spaces, while simultaneously showcasing striking architectural symmetry.

 

 

The narrative is dream-like yet considered, serene yet unsettling. It shows an unspoken harmony between skater and environment, with a subtle undercurrent of disruption and chaos. Oh, and Yann’s skating is pretty darn exceptional.

“A skater offers a revolutionary perspective for the architect, one that allows you to see buildings beyond what they were intended to be. It speaks about a skaters reinterpretation of space – and the advancements of how these spaces are used in ways that the architects could never have imagined.”

 

Some background:

The film was shot in the Mother City and brought to life by dynamic Cape Town & Amsterdam-based production powerhouse, Eyeforce. Director, Dylan of the Cape Collective Assist joined the Eyeforce team in 2016 as an assistant to shoot the kite surfing segment of the WeTransfer Chapter One video, which won a number of accolades. He also joined 7 Films director Bongani Vincent and fellow CCA assistant Ruan van Jaarsveldt in 2016 to shoot Red Monkey: a film about the faces and places of Afrika Burn X.

 

Credits:

Directed by Dylan Boerstra & Renze Roye

Produced by Eyeforce

Starring Yann Horrowitz

 

Note: Brutalism was found via The Lake Magazine