From filmmaker Crystal Moselle (The Wolfpack), the undeniably authentic indie drama Skate Kitchen follows Camille (Rachelle Vinberg), an introverted teenage skateboarder from Long Island who crosses paths with a New York City-based skateboarding crew, primarily made up of other young women. When she has a falling out with her mother, Camille’s bond with the Skate Kitchen crew deepens, until she falls for a mysterious skateboarder guy (Jaden Smith) who could tear their friendship apart.

During this 1-on-1 phone interview with Collider, acting newcomer Rachelle Vinberg, who’s been a skateboarder since she was 12, talked about the journey from being approached by director Crystal Moselle on a train to now having a feature film released that she’s at the center of, how she originally got interested in skateboarding, the most serious fall she’s ever had, being able to collaborate on her character, why Instagram is important when you have a skateboarding crew, and the scene she was most bummed about getting cut. She also talked about working with director Cary Fukunaga on the “A Perfect Day” commercial for Samsung, as well as what she’s looking to do next.

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Image via Magnolia Pictures

Collider: I really enjoyed the film and thought you did really great work in it. I’ve never skateboarded, in my life, because I’m terribly clumsy and would break something, but I have massive respect for anyone who does it because it seems terrifying.

RACHELLE VINBERG: Thank you! It is.

I’m a dancer, but that’s where I draw the line.

VINBERG: That’s what I’m scared of! I’m scared of dancing. Really, I’m not even joking.

What has this whole journey been like, to get to this point, with this full-length feature that people are responding to it in really positive ways?

VINBERG: It’s definitely strange. Two years ago, I was Camille in the movie, coming in from Long Island sometimes. It feels the same because I just do the same things, every day, but then there’s also this other part that’s weird, but that’s also amazing, going to different places. I’m glad that people like it, though.

Now that the movie is coming out, does it feel separate? Does Camille feel very much like a character?

VINBERG: It feels like a character to me because I’m not exactly like Camille. Definitely there was a lot of inspiration from when I was younger and coming in to the city, but I’m not exactly like her. I tried to be the girls that I would see that wouldn’t skate, who were really shy and on the sidelines. I was never like that.

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Image via Magnolia Pictures

What was it that originally got you interested in skateboarding, and how did you end up putting together the crew that you have?

VINBERG: I got into it because of my cousin. I had seen him skating and I wanted to learn the tricks. He was doing tricks and I was like, “That’s awesome! I want to learn how to do that.” So, he ended up getting me a board when I was 12 years old, and I’ve been skating ever since. With the group, I knew Nina [Moran], just from posting videos online. I met up with her in person when I was 15. Then, I met Kabrina [Adams] because she was Nina’s friend. And then, when I was 17, we were approached by (writer/director) Crystal [Moselle] on a train. When she asked if there were more of us, Nina had known more of the other girls, so we all came together because of that. Then, I decided that I was gonna make an Instagram called The Skate Kitchen, so we could post all of our stuff. That happened, and then it became real.

When somebody approached you on a train like that, was your immediate reaction, “This can’t be real,” or did you immediately believe what she said?

VINBERG: I always knew about people approaching people because my dad would tell me stories, when I was little, about people getting approached on trains, and then going into movies, so I secretly always wanted that to happen. So when it happened, I honestly didn’t think it was weird because I knew about it happening.

And you never questioned it?

VINBERG: No, but it’s not that I thought anything would come of it.

I love how this film starts with you falling down because it seems like you could only really go up from there.

VINBERG: Yeah, exactly.

What’s the biggest or most serious fall that you’ve had and what gets you back on the board when that happens?

VINBERG: Well, that fall happened to me twice – once before the movie, and once after. Literally, the exact thing – credit carding. I’m not even joking. I’m definitely shook by it happening, and scared. What gets me back up is just realizing that I don’t have to go hard or be scared, I can just do it for fun. That’s what keeps me going. But, it definitely hurts. It’s not fun.

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Image via Magnolia Pictures

What was it like to be able to work on and develop this character with your director, as it was evolving?

VINBERG: Me and Crystal were friends for a year, before making the movie. We’d all hang out and talk about things. We sat down one time and came up with different things, and we talked about Camille working in a supermarket. 

It seems like you guys were much more involved than you would typically get to be, on a movie.

VINBERG: Oh, yeah, 100%. We definitely were, and Crystal let us do it. Crystal doesn’t know the world, so we got her into the world. She was nice about understanding things and letting us tell her what’s authentic and what’s not.

As someone who is in the skateboarding world, knowing that this movie would be an introduction to what that world is to a lot of people, what did you want her to know, to make sure she got it right?

VINBERG: First of all, that we can’t have an all girl crew. We’re not an all girl crew. You can’t just have a battle of the sexes because that’s not at all how it works. We needed a boy to be in our group, which there was. We skate with boys. That was one of the things that I remember emphasizing and being worried about.

Are there challenges that come with playing a character that’s sort of you, but not really you?

VINBERG: Yeah, it just means that the whole world, or whoever sees it, kind of knows you. But I don’t care, if people know who I am or know things about me.

 I thought it was so interesting, the way you guys use Instagram to get to know each other and to see other skaters. How important is Instagram to you and what you do, as a skateboarder?

VINBERG: It’s very important, definitely. That’s how the Skate Kitchen got a lot of clout or fame. It wasn’t from the movie. We’ve gotten over 100,000 followers, not from the movie, but from posting us skating and having fun, for other people. And then, I also met Jaden [Smith] on Instagram. That’s how he got into the movie. We had talked on Instagram, and then Crystal asked if I knew anyone who skated and was an actor, and it was him. It was very authentic.

What was it like to have him reach out to you that way, because he thought that what you did was cool? Is that something you'd ever have happen before?

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Image via Magnolia Pictures

VINBERG: No, not at all. That happened a year before we even did the movie. I was definitely taken aback. But then, after we skated with him, he’s totally just like us. He’s super normal. He totally just wanted to skate.

What was it like to go from meeting him that way to working with him on the film?

VINBERG: It was funny. It was like, “Wow!” We did not expect it to happen. It was fun. After filming, we’d all go and skate. It was very authentic to how it is in the movie is.

I love how this group of friends really start to become fearless through their friendship with each other because they’re so encouraging of each other. They talk openly about their lives and they celebrate each other, and it’s nice to see people who are not just always in competition.

VINBERG: Yeah, I know. That’s something that a lot of people don’t understand. I know some critics were annoyed and said, “Why was she let in the group so easily? She should have had a hard time getting in and earning their trust.” But, that’s not how it actually is. Everyone’s just welcoming. No one is like that. No one’s mean like that anymore.

Do you find that it’s that bond that you guys have through skateboarding that allows you to be so open with each other?

VINBERG: Yeah, I would say so. In the beginning, and in the movie, for sure, it’s that. Even now, it’s so easy for me to be myself in front of someone that skates because that’s the ice breaker.

The relationship between Camille and her mother is so interesting and such an important part of the story. How does that compare with your relationship with your own mother? Is she supportive of your skateboarding, or is she a bit confused by it all?

VINBERG: It’s different. In the beginning, she definitely was a little bit hesitant to accept it. She was more worried about me hanging out with boys and getting into trouble. That bothered me a lot. I was like, “Mom, they’re nice.” She was scared they were going to do something to me. That was her thing. That’s not in the movie, but that’s how it was in real life. She was scared to let me go to the city, just out of fear.

Apparently, the rough cut of this film was four hours and 45 minutes long, which means there must be a lot of deleted scenes that we don’t get to see.

VINBERG: You’re going to get to see them. You’ll get to see them, eventually.

Were there things that you shot that you were bummed were no longer there?

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Image via Magnolia Pictures

VINBERG: Hell yeah! I was really scared to do tricks that were hard during the movie, or going super high, because I was scared I was going to get hurt. I wanted to do this crazy hard trick and I was like, “F-it,” and I finally did it, but then it wasn’t in the movie. I was so mad. I was like, “Really?!”

You also did the “A Perfect Day” Samsung commercial with Cary Fukunaga, whose work is amazing. How did you find the experience of shooting that and working with him?

VINBERG: Actually, I was at LES, the skate park the film, where this casting director came up to me randomly and told me to go to this casting. I was like, “Okay,” and I went and met Cary. I didn’t even know what an audition was, and I had to read lines. I didn’t know who he was, at all. He liked me, I guess, and we’re still friends, to this day. He’s awesome. He skates, too. I’ve seen him on the board.

Where are you looking to go from here? Would you like to do more acting, or is that not what you’re looking to do, as a career?

VINBERG: I definitely want to try more acting, but I also want to try being in the role that Crystal had and making stuff. I really like that, you know? I liked collaborating with her. I’d tell her ideas and she’d be the one to bring them to life, in her own way. So, if I could learn how to do that, I would want to try to do both.

Skate Kitchen is now playing in theaters.

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