Miss Doris is one of those people who will not allow herself to retire to a rocking chair on the porch and merely enjoy her view of the Ocean from her place on Topsail Island, North Carolina. Just a few feet from her porch is her little empire. In a rather boring looking office building she runs the town’s post office on the first floor from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. But at 7 p.m., she goes up stairs to run a roller skating rink until 10 p.m.
The short film allows us to understand Miss Doris and her influence on this beach resort. Generations of people who have spend one week of their year see the roller skating rink as one of those amazing things that never changes. Miss Doris plays the same games with them for free passes. She plays her old 45s for the various themed skates. She’s not merely an owner running an summer amusement for the money. Miss Doris runs the roller rink because she loves to roller skate. She shows off her moves during the film. She also lets us know how she and her husband had a mutual passion for roller skating. The film is such a charmer that you might end up looking to book a week stay in Topsail so you can lace them up with Miss Doris and hope to win a pass. The film and Miss Doris have the same energy as Albert Maysles’ Iris.
I had a chance after the screening to speak with director Nicole Triche about her time at the rollerskating rink.
The film will be running on Friday (April 7 at 4:10 with Funne: Sea Dreaming Girls) and Saturday (April 8 at 2 p.m. as part of Shorts: Inspired Visions).
