Film
Roller Dreams
- Director
- Kate Hickey
- Certificate
- TBA
- Running Time
- 82 mins
They roller-skated. And they danced. Hence roller-dancing. Beginning back in the 1970s, Venice Beach was the focus for this little-known subculture, in which African-Americans, whites and Hispanics gathered to breakdance on wheels. But The Man – in the form of the LAPD – was not best pleased and, motivated primarily by racism, set out to shut down what had started out as a positive multi-racial scene but was poisoned by a combination of drugs, gangsta rap, gentrification and the fallout from the Rdoney King beating.
Kate Hickey’s documentary feature debut tells the story of ‘Disco Alley’, which transformed the identity of California’s ‘slum by the sea’ and fuelled skate movies such as Xanadu, Skatetown, U.S.A. and Roller Boogie.
EatDrink24/7 Launch Party is back on July 8 2026!
Exclusive collabs from Bristol’s favourite food vendors, available for one night only. Be first to grab your free copy of the EatDrink24/7 guide – plus every ticket comes with a free limited-edition beer can.
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