Documentary Analysis: Skateboarding in Madagascar

Skateboarding in Madagascar:

This documentary has been produced following conventions most akin to the Performative mode. This film appears to favor subjective experiences, of both the local Malagasy skaters and the professional skateboarders visiting Madagascar, over objective facts; these experiences are portrayed to the audience on a personal level in order to evoke an emotive response.

The film appears to explore the local culture and customs of Madagascar, portrayed through the viewpoint of the foreign skaters who are visiting the country. The juxtaposition between the two demographics (foreign professionals and local Malagasies) initially highlights the differences between the two, but over the discourse of the film a theme of unity through the common act of skateboarding emerges.

Visually, the cinematography and mise en scene of the film follow several techniques in order to achieve effectively achieve it’s function. The footage has been colour corrected to match the dusty tones present in the locations being filmed. This connotes that the locals there may struggle to engage in the act of skateboarding, due to the rugged surfaces and lack of equipment, which is later documented in more detail. Various shots of locals engaged in normal activities, as well as establishing shots of indigenous trees and the architecture of the city streets, are present throughout the film. This allows for the portrayal of a more authentic feeling representation of the Malagasy skaters and donates information to the audience regarding their cultural heritage.

These camera shots paired with the high key lighting and handheld filming technique further emphasizes the ‘authenticity’ of representation in the film. This allows for a more personal connection between the audience and the skaters shown on screen through the strong verisimilitude. Another repeated camera technique is the inclusion of a great deal of camera movement. A great deal of the skating is filmed with the cameraman riding a skateboard. This POV style shot effectively makes the depicted scenes far more immersive and conveys the subjective experience of riding a skateboard to the audience.

The discourse of the text is conveyed through the use of interviews, voice-overs and a mix of continuity with non-continuity editing. The beginning of the film features a large number of establishing shots, serving the purpose to introduce the viewers to the location of the film. The following shots introduce the primary theme of skateboarding to the text, juxtaposing the foreign day-to-day practices of the local Malagasy populace.

The mixture of continuity and non-continuity editing within the text allows for the film to both convey a loose narrative following a chronological order of events, as well as generating a mood reflective of Malagasy culture. Interviews with skateboarders carry on across shots of skateboarding as voiceovers offering the audience greater insight into the activity, as well as effectively conveying the skateboarders subjective experiences, as is conventional of the Performative mode.