Short Stories 2011: All In - Lennie Burmeister and Willow

A tale of two skaters set against a stunning urban backdrop

The second entry in the Relentless Energy Short Stories 2011 short film competition comes straight from the creative heart of Germany, where film maker Mark Nickels captures the unwavering passion of two skateboarding legends. 'All In' stars two of Relentless' most daring and talented skateboarders: Lennie Burmeister and Christoph “Willow” Wildgrube.

"If you are not willing to do what you have to in order to make something happen, then why try?"

Beauty and grace in the urban jungle

Set against the often-haunting backdrop of Berlin's concrete jungle, Nickels finds beauty in urban decay and boldly displays these two huge talents in their natural environment. The unbridled, cathartic sense of freedom and enjoyment that skateboarding can engender takes centre stage in this short film, and the bond between the two award-winning stars is clear for all to see. Their dedication to their craft is absolute, as is their immense skill and bravery.

The mindset of passion

Nickels is based in the arts-oriented Berlin district of Kreuzberg, but it’s his US childhood that inspired the film’s title. “My dad was a professional poker player later in his life, after his 31 year career in the US Air Force” he explains. “He worked all his life to support our family and when he retired, he did something he had a real passion for. He lived my story…we had so much in common, and I saw my dad have the same ups and downs as I was having with skating.

“'All in' is also a mindset: if you are not willing to do what you have to in order to make something happen, then why try? If you are going to do anything in life, you have to go for it 200 per cent. I want to have no regrets in my life.”

[biography:shared/shared_content/biographies/lennie-burmeister-biography.html]

[biography:shared/shared_content/biographies/willow-aka-christoph-wildgrube-biography.html]