Patrik Wallner
Born in West Germany, Hungarian director Patrik Wallner creates innovative skateboarding videos that offer viewers a new perspective on places and societies not often cast in a favorable light. While the bulk of polished, professional skateboarding manifests itself amongst the well-worn paths of Los Angeles’s schoolyards and Barcelona’s public spaces, Wallner’s employs the streetscapes of obscure cities like Sochi and Pyongyang. His fascination with Eurasia is a driving factor in his creative process, and he uses skateboarding as a vehicle to explore and construct narratives that break down barriers so often entrenched in the collective imagination. He is the director of The Splits (Mountainfilm 2019).