The Scars of Ali Boulala

At 16 years old, Ali Boulala was on top of the world: the Swedish skateboarding prodigy snagged a sponsorship from Flip Skateboards, who flew him out to LA at the height of the 90s skating craze. Boulala spent his days trying to nail new tricks for DIY videos and hanging out with a global cohort of other precocious pros. But the indulgences of life on tour took its toll, building to a tragic accident that changed Boulala’s life forever. In his debut feature, Max Eriksson tells Boulala’s story through an audaciously atmospheric blend of sources: we see Boulala in his prime in skate videos from the 90s and 00s, while fellow pro skaters tell us who he was off the halfpipe. (Cara Cusumano, Tribeca Festival)