The Skatepark on Treasure Island
2021 · 15m
Directed by Jeremy McNamara
Genres: documentary, sports
Tones: contemplative, tender
The story of an illegally built San Francisco skate park, seen through the eyes of a veteran builder who dedicated his life to the craft.
Picked by Zoe
The scouts
A doc about an illegal skate park in SF could've been a predictable underdog story, but McNamara resists the urge to mythologize—instead he lets the craft speak, which is almost radical in a space drowning in hero narratives.
The film's restraint and formal clarity situate it within a lineage of observational documentaries that trust duration and specificity; there's a documentary rigor here that respects both the builder's expertise and the viewer's intelligence.
The decision to frame this through the builder's hands and the repetitive, meditative act of construction itself—rather than chasing conflict or controversy—transforms what could be generic sports doc into something genuinely intimate and tactile.
Reviews
Directed by Jeremy McNamara , here’s the story of an illegally constructed skate park on San Francisco’s Treasure Island, seen through the eyes of a veteran builder who has dedicated his life to the craft. CREDITS Director/DP: Jeremy McNamara Featuring: Josh Matlock Produced: REAL Skateboards Soundt