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This Ain't California

This Ain't California

B-boy rebellion, communism, skateboarding, the Stasi…

20126.51h 33mNR

Overview

A retrospective look at the youth cultures born in the German Democratic Republic. A celebration of the lust for life, a contemporary trip into the world of skate, a tale on three heroes and their boards, from their childhood in the seventies, through their teenage rebellion in the eighties and the summer of 1989, when their life changed forever, to 2011.

Directed by Marten Persiel
Written by Ira Wedel
Produced by Michael Schöbel, Ronald Vietz
Box Office0Revenue: $136K

Top Cast

K

Kai Hillebrand

Denis 'Panik' Paraceck (uncredited)

David Nathan

David Nathan

Adult Nico (uncredited)

N

Nora Decker

Teenager Hexe (uncredited)

L

Lea Wolfram

Doreen (uncredited)

Titus Dittmann

Titus Dittmann

Self - Businessman (uncredited)

Erich Honecker

Erich Honecker

Self - Politician (archive footage)

Katarina Witt

Katarina Witt

Self - Sportswoman (archive footage)

Helmut Kohl

Helmut Kohl

Self - Politician (archive footage)

Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton

Self - Politician (archive footage)

Gerhard Schröder

Gerhard Schröder

Self - Politician (archive footage)

Trailer

Themes & Keywords

skateboardingberlin wallgerman democratic republic1970sextreme sportsmale friendshipmockumentary1980s1990spolitical repressionsoviet union history2000ssemi-fiction2010s

About This Ain't California

This Ain't California is a documentary, history, animation film released in 2012 exploring themes of skateboarding, berlin wall, german democratic republic, 1970s, extreme sports, male friendship. Directed by Marten Persiel, it stars Kai Hillebrand, David Nathan, Nora Decker. A retrospective look at the youth cultures born in the German Democratic Republic. A celebration of the lust for life, a contemporary trip into the world of skate, a tale on three heroes and their boards, from their childhood in the seventies, through their teenage rebellion in the eighties and the summer of 1989, when their life changed forever, to 2011.

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