Le 15 mars dernier, pour l’occasion de ses 3 ans d’existence, l’association Rookie Slash a eu le plaisir d’organiser un événement en collaboration avec le Festival International du Film sur les Droits Humains (FIFDH) à Genève. Au programme : la projection de 4 courts métrages, des prises de parole et un moment d’échange autour d’une petite verrée.
Les films proposés, tous mentionnées ci-dessous, ont été sélectionnés pour mettre en avant le skateboard comme vecteur de cohésion sociale et de résilience. Que ce soit en Grèce, en Iran, au Maroc, ou même en Suisse, ces courts métrages illustrent la manière dont ce sport urbain et communautaire incarne une forme de liberté, un moyen de se connecter aux autres et à son corps à travers le mouvement.
Among them, “A Mobile Community” by Markus Bengtsson & Viktor Telégin, which explores the work of the Free Movement Skateboarding association. This association enables migrants to discover skateboarding, while creating meeting spaces using mobile modules. Working in disadvantaged neighborhoods, these ephemeral installations provide access to public spaces for people who are often marginalized. Free Movement Skateboarding remains a great source of inspiration for Rookie Slash, and we were delighted to be able to share their work in a much-appreciated session!
After the screenings, we had the pleasure of listening to testimonials from several members of the association on their commitment to the inclusion of migrant people in Geneva. Among them was Sefatullah, a former beneficiary of our skateboarding courses, now an official coach at Rookie Slash. His energy, good humor and invaluable advice enrich our sessions, and we hope to welcome even more young people to the adventure!
We were also fortunate enough to hear from Janette and Yamin, representatives of Hospice général, on our collaboration with the City of Geneva, as well as Nytai and Mat, founding members of Rookie Slash, who shared their views on the associative world and their visions for the years to come.
It was essential for us to take a moment after the screenings to meet with all levels of involvement in the association, partners like RECapital, the City of Geneva, the Canton of Geneva, and of course the coaches, the youngsters and all the people who support us on a daily basis and ensure that the Rookie Slash adventure can continue.
In parallel, an event to celebrate Rookie Slash's 3rd birthday (Happy Birthday!) was organized at the Plainpalais skatepark. The event included free initiations, skateboard games and a competition. However, the event was compromised by rain, but it's all set to happen again, so stay tuned!
Keep riding,
The Rookie Slash team
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Here's the video recap of the event, produced by RECapital. Many thanks to them!
Films shown:
Crystal Lake de Jennifer Reeder, USA, 2016, 20’, vo ang, st fr
Kids of Tehran de Daniel Asadi Faezi, Iran, 2016, 28’, vo farsi, st fr
Deserts Dogs de Samuel Morris, Suisse, 2020, 20’, vo arabe, st fr
A Mobile Community de Markus Bengtsson, Grèce/Suède, 2024, 19’, vo ang, st fr