ImillaSkate: Inspiring New Film Highlights Bolivia’s Indigenous Skateboarding Women

This is not Dogtown—this is something far more powerful. ImillaSkate – The Cholita Skaters of Bolivia is a transformative documentary that invites viewers to see the world from an entirely new perspective. At its heart is ImillaSkate, a fearless all-female Indigenous skateboarding collective from Cochabamba, Bolivia, redefining what it means to be young, female, and proudly rooted in tradition.

Dressed in vibrant pollera skirts, a symbol of Indigenous Aymara and Quechua heritage, these bold skaters turn every ride into an act of resistance. More than just a group of skaters, ImillaSkate represents a cultural movement—blending rebellion with reverence, and skateboarding with social change. Through every ollie and kickflip, these women are challenging gender norms, reclaiming their ancestry, and creating a new space for sisterhood, pride, and empowerment.

“Some people in my generation are embarrassed to wear a pollera [traditional skirt]. Because the pollera highlights your features. Your indigenous features. Highlight what we are as indigenous people, as the daughters of women of polleras. It’s a part of my family legacy. And without my family, I’m nobody. It’s about giving the pollera new meaning.“

Set against the striking backdrop of the Bolivian Andes, this short film by directors Rebecca Basaure and Mariano Carranza centers the voices and visions of these skaters. It explores how their connection to traditional clothing becomes a declaration of identity, strength, and unity. In a country where racial discrimination and gender-based violence still cast long shadows, ImillaSkate is a radical act of joy and defiance.

“In a country where being a woman, and being indigenous, still means fighting for space, Imillaskate follows the girls who carve that space – literally – on trucks and wheels. Their skateboards become tools of cultural pride, and their bodies in motion become a language of self-determination. We hope to show what we saw: not just girls skating, but a revolution in polleras.”

“This documentary is a love letter to Bolivia, to sisterhood, and to everyone who’s ever been told they don’t belong,” say the filmmakers. With each frame, ImillaSkate shines a spotlight on the power of cultural pride, community, and carving your path, on your terms.