‘Kamali’ based on the life of 9-year-old skateboarder from Tamil Nadu is shortlisted for the Oscars

Last year, nine-year-old Kamali Moorthy hailing from Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu made headlines for her skateboarding skills. Now, Kamali is in the news once again. A short movie based on her life, and also featuring the contributions of her mother and grandmother has been shortlisted for the 2020 Academy Awards.

The 24-minute short film has been directed by New Zealand filmmaker Sasha Rainbow. Prior to its selection for the Oscars, the movie won the Best Documentary at the Atlanta Film Festival, US, in April this year.

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The documentary revolves around Kamali’s mother, Suganthi Moorthy’s struggle, on how she fought against society to raise her child and helped her to become a skateboarding champion, reports India Today.

Speaking to The News Minute, Kamali’s mentor and Chennai-based entrepreneur Aine Edwards said,

“When Suganthi (Kamali’s mother) sees her children, she reflects on her childhood and how she could not do the things she wished to do because of the society. Today, she wants Kamali to taste the freedom she did not have.”

When asked about the movie, he said,

"The crew came and shot the film over six weeks. After it was edited, they even sent it to the Mumbai International Short Film Festival in December 2018, where it won Best Director Award.”

Kamali has also travelled across India with professional skateboarding teams to promote the sport.

In 2018, Aine Edwards introduced Kamali to Jamie Thomas, a renowned international skateboarder. Impressed by her skills, he gifted her a skateboard.

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Kamali rose to fame when a renowned American skateboarder Tony Hawk saw her skateboarding skills. Impressed by her talent, Tony uploaded her picture in which she can be seen skateboarding in a frock with no shoes. The picture soon made Kamali an online sensation.

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