WOOLF WOMEN: NOW OR NEVER
Directed by: Marchella De Angelis and Jennifer Schauerte
Starring: Jennifer Schauerte, Alejandra Gutierrez, Anna Pixner, Lisa Peters, Jasmijn Hanegraef
This documentary follows a group of five female down-hill skateboarders led by the fearless Jenny Jungle as they attempt to drive across Europe to a monastery in Sumela, Turkey, to be the first people to skate down its formidable roads.
Woolf women is a film which riles your emotions. Straight from the start, we have an inkling for what we are about to get into, with an exhilarating sequence filming one of the girls as she bombs down a road. The text tells us that down-hill skaters can hit speeds of up to 140KM/H and you truly believe it. However the editing teases us at a crucial moment and rewinds back to Jenny's childhood briefly. As Jenny and her collaborator Marchella ("M") start preparing for the trip, however, disaster strikes when Jenny is in a horrific accident. Because she was filming her run at the time, we bare witness to the terrible pain that she is in. Her accident isn't life threatening but leaves her needing multiple surgeries and a slow recovering time.
As one of the ladies mentions, other people have quit their sport due to much less severe injuries but Jenny is unperturbed and determined to make the trip - and the documentary - happen. She has her camper van refitted so it will house all five girls (with a support vehicle following). The spirit and the camaraderie of the women is palpable. Even when things get tense, these women are not yelling, in each others faces (you can imagine an American version of this going very differently!). They may have a difference of opinion - a prime example is when they get held up at a border crossing - but there is genuine respect for each other at all times.
There are some really uplifting and inspiring moments in the film. At one point the women meet up with a group of long-board skaters who have been teaching Muslim girls in Malaysia to skate - having convinced the village elders to allow them to do so. They also promote reusable menstruation cups which can replace ountless supplies of sanitary products. At another point the team are joined by singer/songwriter Karina Ramage who provides the film’s soundtrack with a very catchy song.
Once the women manage to get into Turkey, the film's atmosphere takes a dark turn. There is a real danger from this point onwards. The roads are very treacherous and narrow and there are signs of firefights between government troops and local guerillas. The women are so isolated, you could easily mistake this for the start of a horror film.
The tension continues when as the film builds towards its climax, when the Woolf Women are poised to make their ground-breaking skate run from the Monastery. We've seen how treacherous the roads are and the team are aware that Jenny isn't back to her full fitness. Will she attempt the run? Will she survive if she does? The film's structured to make us really worry about the outcome: there is a lot of post-footage with Jenny's mother, her team-mates, but Jenny herself is conspicuous by her absence in these moments. Its like watching the epilogue of Point Break.
THE VERDICT
WOOLF WOMEN: NOW OR NEVER is an awesome documentary, a road movie of courage and determination, overcoming incredible odds and the bonds of friendship. There are moments where you truly fear for the team's safety (the skating footage is amazing and contains both Jenny's and her friend's horrific crashes), and others where you are basking in their bonding and spirit and energy.