Vegapolis is a look into adolescence- the uncertainty, the thrill, the figuring it out- all set in a skating rink, Vegapolis. Director, Micha Barban Dangerfield focuses on the teenagers that come to this skating rink, removing all authority figures, teachers, parents and school, and lets their decisions and feelings drive the narrative.
Vegapolis is the most accurate coming of age film I’ve seen in a while (which does make sense for a documentary). It manages to capture various parts of the spectrum of adolescence in the time it has, especially the somewhat awkward transition from childhood to adulthood where you’re expected to know what your life should be. The young people in the documentary let us in on their process of trying, and failing, and trying again, while still being teenagers.
In all of that, Vegapolis acts as a safe haven for them. It’s the space where nothing is expected of them really, except to be. They form a community that sees each other through the figuring out process while championing one another, and in this way (as I said about Jean-François Caissy’s Kindergarten) we see a microcosm of society – or at least, what it should be.
Dangerfield’s use of colour and sound in Vegapolis is stunning. The documentary fits perfectly in the coming-of-age genre, leaning into its youthful energy, with a visual vibrancy that calls a rave, or season one of Elite (complimentary, I love that show) to mind.
Vegapolis is playing at Hot Docs ’26. For more information, click here.
