Minding the Gap
Bing Liu · 2018
Minding the Gap is a 2018 documentary by Bing Liu, filmed over twelve years in Rockford, Illinois. It follows Liu and two friends—Keire Johnson and Zack Mulligan—as they navigate adulthood amid economic hardship, domestic violence, and racial inequality. Shot and edited by Liu, the film uses skateboarding as both connective tissue and quiet counterpoint to deeper struggles with fatherhood, accountability, and survival. It premiered at Sundance, won the Special Jury Prize for Breakthrough Filmmaking, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.