Minding the Gap

In the rust‑colored streets of Rockford, Illinois, life moves to the rhythm of cracked pavement and the clatter of skateboards. The city’s lingering industrial decay forms a quiet backdrop for three young men who spend their days carving out freedom on concrete ramps while wrestling with the weight of their families’ untold stories. The documentary’s tone is intimate and unflinching, allowing the viewer to feel the chill of early mornings, the echo of distant factories, and the stubborn hope that flickers in every shared laugh and lingering glance.

At the heart of the film is Zack Mulligan, a charismatic yet vulnerable skater whose aspirations are rooted in a desire to protect the fragile bonds he’s built. Alongside him rides Kiere Johnson, a thoughtful rider confronting the complexities of his racial identity and the sudden responsibilities that accompany loss. Their friendship, forged on the board’s deck, is a study in silent support and unspoken tension, a mirror of the broader questions about modern masculinity that the city itself seems to pose. The camera, helmed by Bing Liu, serves not just as an observer but as a participant, threading his own history through the lives he records and gently coaxing moments of raw honesty from his subjects.

The film’s style is observational, lingering on the ordinary—sun‑lit skate parks, cramped kitchen tables, the soft hum of a hometown radio—while subtly highlighting the emotional undercurrents that ripple beneath everyday interactions. There’s a lingering sense of anticipation, as each pause and glance hints at deeper currents yet to surface. In this portrait of transition, the audience is invited to sit on the curb, watch the wheels turn, and contemplate how the spaces between the rides may shape the men they become.

Last Updated: August 10, 2025 at 02:25