In the mid 1970s, the coastal neighbourhood between Santa Monica and Venice in California was known as the last remaining “beachfront slum” in Los Angeles. The local surfers were at a loss with what to do with themselves when the surf died down in the afternoons, so they got creative and turned to skateboards. A record-breaking drought struck the area one year, meaning that thousands of backyard swimming pools were drained to conserve water. These swimming pools became the makeshift playgrounds for the Zephyr team, a skate crew who invented the kinds of stunts and aerial acrobatics that have come to be synonymous with skating itself. 

Dogtown’s director, Stacy Peralta, was one of the original Z-Boys himself, so he has unparalleled access to many other members of the crew, as well as hours of archival 8mm and 16mm footage. We also hear from pro skating legends like Tony Hawk, Steve Caballero and Tom Sims, as well as musicians like Henry Rollins and Jeff Ament. Sean Penn narrates the film, which won the Audience and Directing awards at Sundance in 2001, and the soundtrack is stacked with 70s rock gods – Bowie, Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Stooges, Black Sabbath and more.