The Muranów Bike Days Festival, a partner of which is our company, is coming soon, on September 7-8. Before more details become available, I managed to talk to one of the event's creators (in addition to my interviewee,
Michał Weksler, there's Karol Gołaj and Paweł Majka).
We met at a trade fair in…Berlin to talk about importing, at least temporarily, your event from Wrocław to Warsaw. But tell us, what exactly were you doing in the German capital?
Imports are out of the question for now :) We're very happy in Wrocław; we live and ride here. Of course, it's great to have the prospect of expanding to other cities, and we're very happy that, thanks to you, we can share the cycling and film scene in the capital.
We've been going to the Berlinerfahradshau for four years now. At first, it was just adventure trips; we'd get together with a group of friends, load our bikes into cars, and head to the German capital in a few carts. I remember we had our stickers, which we placed in various places at the fair. We wanted to promote the festival and see where the cycling lifestyle world in Europe was developing and heading. Is there a chance for a cinema there? I loved (and still do) collecting stickers from the Suicycle and 8 bars stands. We've been at the BFS with a booth for two years now, and it turned out that our previous presence was noticed and resulted in a collaboration that gave us the opportunity to exhibit at the next fair.
Thanks to this, we met even more people from the cycling world, and I had the opportunity to watch several films and establish contacts with cycling collectives producing films. This led to further collaborations and friendships. This is precisely the story of the film "Maybe Die ," which we will be showing during the screening in Warsaw. Berlinerhahradshau is a good place to show that initiatives like cycling film festivals are doing well. We encourage visitors to come to Wrocław—and they are! Imagine that every year, for the past four years, we have a regular group of cyclists from Berlin who get on their bikes on Sunday or Monday and leisurely make their way to the capital of Lower Silesia, arriving in time for the opening on Thursday. If all goes well, perhaps in 2019 we will be able to organize a cinema during the Berlin fair. We would love to, but who knows how it will all turn out.
Since you are already thinking about conquering Europe, please tell me what the first event was like?
I remember that day well, it was May 11, 2013, together with the guys from the foundation (Paweł, Kuba and Karol) that we are creating, we organized a one-day screening of 3 films at the New Horizons Cinema: Murder of Couriers , Line of Sight and Hit Them in the Mouth – about Bike Polo. The latter finally aired in its original version because Paweł and I were sitting at my house the night before the screening, trying to translate the dialogue, and they were talking like crazy, and we finally gave up in the early hours of the morning. I think that was our first big teaser, seeing that people who were actually interested in it were coming to the screening we organized.
This was a time when Murder of Couriers was a cult classic and everyone wanted to see it. There was no way to watch it online (thankfully), so watching it together as a group was the only solution. There's also an important story behind this film. Everyone who approached the producers about screening it promised and guaranteed that they wouldn't share their copy with anyone else and that only one screening would take place at a time – and indeed, they did. This trust is fundamental in the cycling film world, not just in business but also in the human dimension. We're thrilled that filmmakers trust us and can rely on us.
Any self-respecting film fan looking for something more than Hollywood mayhem has at least heard of de Sica's Bicycle Thieves. Can you think of any other classic films where the bicycle is as important as the hero?
Yes, I'll refer you back to the film program of previous Bike Days editions. In 2016, we had the great pleasure of screening the film American Flyers , starring a young Kevin Costner. Another title was the Silver Bear-winning film "Bicycle from Beijing" (2011) at the Berlinale, a story about friendship and love with a bicycle as one of the main characters. But there are more classics with a bicycle at the forefront. It's worth mentioning "Quicksilver," starring Kevin Bacon as an ex-stockbroker who tries his hand at bike couriering. Another interesting classic is "BMX Bandits ," an Australian film in which Nicole Kidman debuted. It's hard to believe that Kidman's career began with tricks on a BMX.
It's clear that bicycle films are a rather broad category. Would you suggest whether and how they could be divided into subgenres? Is there a particular trend in this cinema that's developing particularly strongly?
Indeed, when it comes to cycling productions, we can divide them into several categories. I'll start with those devoted to fixed-gear culture and bicycle couriers. Quite a few short films, documentaries, and even feature films have been made on this topic in recent years. It was (and still is) a resonant topic, one that filmmakers strive to capture in various ways. Another group consists of social films, demonstrating the power of cycling to transform interpersonal relationships, both personal, local, and global – I admit, this is one of my favorite categories. Another thematic group is sports films, often featuring a story about a famous cyclist or a group of cyclists competing in an important race (say, the Tour de France, Giro di Italia, etc.).
We observe their struggles, observe their preparations, and witness the race from behind the scenes. This is a truly spectacular film category, full of thrills and twists. These films are as gripping as any good thriller. And perhaps the most comprehensive category of films is travel films. This is the most universal category, as it encompasses all the previously mentioned categories while remaining accessible. After all, every one of us cyclists enjoys a great trip, just as we enjoy watching them on the big screen, especially since the stories presented are often breathtaking.
The bicycle phenomenon is primarily a European phenomenon, but many interesting films come from other parts of the world. Can anything be said about the geography of such cinema?
That's a great question; I admit I hadn't paid much attention to it before. Contemporary cycling cinema has become a business, to a certain extent. The licensing rights to many films are held by large distribution studios located on different continents, thus blurring national identities. Globalization has also played havoc in this area. During our six-year film journey, we've shown films from North and South America, Asia, and Africa. We've also included titles from Australia. Of course, the largest group consists of European films, so we can say that the popularity of cycling on the old continent translates into the number of productions.
You've organized many events featuring these types of films. Do you remember the production that made the biggest impression on you? Tears/laughter/shock/disbelief?
Yes, I have two films that I hold close to my heart, and I'm proud we had the opportunity to show them. One of them is Rising From Ashes – a title we'll be presenting at the event in Warsaw. It's a feature-length documentary about Rwanda's first cycling team preparing to compete in the 2012 Olympic Games. It's a story that symbolizes the breaking down of barriers and boundaries in a sport previously reserved for "whites," as well as internal ones between conflicting ethnic groups. It's a film in which the bicycle is a symbol of change, both individual, social, and systemic. Every time I turn on this film, I get tears in my eyes; it's one of the most important films we've ever shown, and I'm grateful for its creation.
We'd been trying to make a second film for over three years, sending emails every year to ask how post-production was going and whether we'd be able to finish it in time for the festival. In 2018, we finally succeeded. I'm writing about the film Afghan Cycles – about a team of female cyclists from Afghanistan who, through their courage and determination, were changing the cultural landscape of a country dominated by men. It's a film about the growing emancipation of women.
After the screening of Rising from Ashes, we organized a Skype interview with the film's protagonist, and after Afghan Cycles, viewers had the opportunity to talk with director Sarah Menzies. These were incredibly moving encounters.
We're planning a mini-festival in Warsaw together. Can you tell us what you plan to show?
In Warsaw, we want to showcase what we believe are the best titles we've managed to collect over the six-year history of Bike Days. This is a difficult choice, as we had to limit ourselves to four film blocks, or theoretically, four titles. We focused on diversity because we want to reach a diverse audience and also want to showcase the universality of cycling, ensuring everyone can find something they enjoy. Therefore, on Friday, September 7th, we're kicking off our adventure with two great films, both of which I've already mentioned. One of them is a record of our Spanish friends' journey on fixed gear through Japan – Maybe Die – forged at the Berlin trade fair. Our friendship is blossoming, and we're thrilled that the opportunity to meet again will soon arise. The second offering in the block is a beautifully crafted story about Keirin – one of the most demanding and respected cycling disciplines in Japan. It's a philosophy of life and an extremely elite discipline.
This evening we'll be showing the aforementioned Rising from Ashes. I'm curious to see how the Warsaw audience will react to this film. For me, it'll be another exciting screening.
On Saturday, September 8, we will focus on feminist cinema and present the film Ovarian Psychos, which tells the story of the power of women uniting in a world dominated by violence and gangs in Los Angeles, where cycling is an antidote to the gray and dangerous reality.
And finally, a film about bicycle couriers from Lausanne – Cyclique – an engaging film about people who feel so good at what they do that… it's time for a change. This Swiss documentary asks the question: can you be a bicycle courier your entire life?
Cycling is becoming an important part of urban lifestyles. But only in a few places around the world has it also become a significant component of urban culture (or subculture). In your opinion, how much have films contributed to this? Can you think of any titles where the city plays a key role?
I think it's going the other way. Films have begun to observe phenomena happening around the world, and experienced filmmakers have looked at them through their lenses. I have a few titles in mind, but they're not important enough to be worth writing about here. Modern civilization requires a serious debate on how to get around cities; there's so much talk about sustainable transport. Many cities, such as New York, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Berlin, and Hamburg, are examples of rational use of bicycles. I hope the films we're presenting will spark discussion on this topic as well.
Thanks for the interview and see you in Muranów!
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