Skateistan Documentary Analysis

The documentary Skateistan starts with varying clips of children playing. What makes this memorable is that children are shown climbing tanks and playing cricket surrounded by trash. This introduction visually gives the audience a better understanding of what the environment is like and specifically what it looks like to live as a child in Afghanistan. Recognizing the horrible situations these children face is a good first step towards helping the children, who are born into a country ravaged by war, heal. However, healing is a long and complex process that must be tackled with determination and a complete understanding of what is needed; considering Afghanistan’s perspective. In general, healing starts with awareness but particularly, healing for Afghan children should carefully address issues of trauma, poverty, education, and inequality while preserving their
Preserving the hopefulness of children can seem daunting in this environment, but children are resilient. There is an important balance between moving on and remembering the past. Acknowledging the past and current injustices and being aware helps teach what is behavior is harmful and shouldn’t be repeated in all aspects of life. Obviously, there are many aspects coming into play in the oppression and danger going on in the country. With these various complex issues there are two ways of healing. One is immediate tangible actions which can relate very clearly to the film. Skateistan provides an active pastime for the kids to engage in. Being able to come to a fountain or park every day and have fun with others helps bring more joy into the children’s lives and somewhat forget about the oppressive system momentarily. Skateistan also aims for long term positive effects. The program involves children of all ages, genders, and classes. Creating this inclusive environment helps combat the negative stereotypes many children face and teaches that they are