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Thalente Biyela is about to turn 18 and needs to decide what to be when
he ‘grows up’. Homeless since age nine, he is illiterate and his
opportunities are limited. At age eight, his first skateboard becomes
his escape from turmoil at home, giving him a way to express himself,
and access to a community of friends who become family. Skateboarding
soon became the driving force in his life, providing him sanctity as he
lived on the streets of Durban. An internet video of Thalente skating
reaches pro-skater Kenny Anderson who offers to take him under his wing
if he makes it to America. Thalente puts his heart and soul to the test
to rise above circumstance and shape his future.
by Natalie Johns
Trailer
I AM THALENTE follows once homeless Thalente Biyela from the streets of South Africa to California on a skateboard.
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