CREDITS

Just under a year in the making, "Credits" celebrates the diverse energy and personalities of the global women’s skate community directed by Shari White. With a talented cast led by three underground favorites — Una Farrar, Breana Geering, and Fabiana Delfino —the film highlights the unique, individual style and expression of a group of friends that skate, hang and travel together. Other featured riders, Beatrice Domond, Cher Strauberry, Clara Solar, Poppy Olsen, Helena Long, Adelaide Norris, Dayana Young and director Shari White herself.

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Thoughts after the online premiere:

Noon arrives and my screen goes dark. Then, a two-minute countdown pops up, but it’s not the stock movie countdown; this one’s a neat animation by Poppy Starr that I will gladly stare at for 120 seconds. Next thing I know, Audrey Kerridge is on the screen introducing “Credits”, as well as welcoming Una Farrar, Shari White, Fabiana Delfino, and Breana Geering to the online premiere. 

We’re in, and I’ve got goosebumps through the intro right into Una sending it into a bank, and then going down hard. But it was the crew’s reaction that got me. Something about the mix of stoke, love, and concern for a friend.

Most often, “teams” of just about all sorts are put together either through careful consideration or by chance and circumstance. Knowing the four main women involved in “Credits”, as fellow skaters and also as neighbours, I can attest that “team” here is just a weaker substitute word for “family”. I’ve only watched the video once so far, but it was evident in that clip, particularly after Una went back and rode it out.

From there, Una keeps ripping with a feeling-good-but-hella-focused vibe. Fabi shows up, dropping in and landing in cuffs, but then she breaks free for some particularly rad revert and revert fake-outs on banks. The extended family blazes through, each with a unique style, before Breana arrives with her wide variety of moves, set to some deservedly triumphant tones, the kind of song that is always so rad to hear set over great skateboarding.

All of that goodness, and a lack of corporate heavy-handedness, makes “Credits” a video that’ll inspire skaters for all the right reasons. There are no unnecessary time-lapses, city skylines, planes taking off, slo-mos, second angles, or overt product shots. Most enjoyably, it is a testament to how you can make a video that depicts genuine affection between “teammates” without including extended hugs and high-five shots after every single trick. Nicely done, Shari. —Jeff Thorburn

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