Rolling

The more prodigious the climb, the more infernal the fall. Ivano Gagliardo, the son of Italian immigrants is a jobless carpet-layer. The only thing he lives for is roller-skating, which is his way of showing his refusal of a society ruled by mercantile values. ‘When you’re skating, you can’t hear the outside world. You feel so strong that no-one can stop you. All the problems of money, unemployment, all those kinds of worries are forgotten when you skate.’ Peter Entell followed Ivano’s life for three years. After his daring and talent gain him recognition as the roller-skate king of Lausanne, he marries Emmanuelle, another brilliant skater – between two breathtaking descents down the hill slopes and stairways. Success seems to come their way when they open a specialised equipment store, courageously resisting the temptations of the marketing creed. Yet, glory is short-lived, business risky and love falls apart…