Bike Week is 14th – 22nd June

Eight days of near sell out shows. The only one with a small audience was Wheel to Reel 2007, which was a shame as they were a fine selection of shorts. They will be shown again.

The week finished with a party in the bar (photo).

See you next year.

Young and old(er) laughed at a delightful first feature by Tati that was both a historic time capsule – a romanticised view of rural France – and an amazingly fresh comedic take on the modern world with a satire on the perils of speed and ‘efficiency’. Tati clearly couldn’t have foreseen that the US Postal Service – which influenced his character, the cycling postman – would sponsor six times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong more than 50 years later!

The film is also notable for the recent re-creation of the experimental colouration that Tati intended, (there were technical problems when the film was made), and some startlingly ambitious (and successful) camera shots, tracking complex action.

If you missed it, book for a repeat on Saturday 21st of July, 4.00pm at Filmhouse.

“

This is the first time that You Never Bike Alone has been shown outside of Canada, and in a way that seems fitting. The idea of making a bike film took root when I was living in Edinburgh and the earliest Critical Mass footage in this film was shot in Edinburgh.

That said, most of this film is about the West Coast Canadian city of Vancouver, but you will see many parallels with the Edinburgh situation. Though the twinned cities are separated by 8 time zones, both are port cities, big tourist destinations, and boast a high quality of life. Both are marred by increasing regular traffic congestion caused by suburban sprawl and poor public transport infrastructure. Both are wet and hilly.

The differences will be clear on viewing the film. Canada’s third largest city is a shiny, new metropolis that has spread out, in only a matter of generations, where once lay thick temperate rainforest. Vancouver is surrounded by water – there are 4 bridges to the downtown peninsula alone – and the big bridges have become major battlegrounds in the struggle to improve roads for cyclists. The Greater Vancouver Region is also facing a major threat from a massive roads expansion project which involves twinning one of the outlying bridges on the main motorway to accommodate increasing numbers of Vancouver-bound cars.

You Never Bike Alone glimpses two potential futures and shows why there’s never been a more important time to ride your bike regularly. I hope that it provides some inspiration for Edinburgh’s growing bike community and I look forward to riding with many of you soon.

“

After the film there was a wide ranging discussion about the future of Critical Mass in Edinburgh. The Edinburgh ‘taxi incident’ shown in the film is one reason why a previous run of CMs petered out here. Last year CM returned to the Captal’s streets largely as a result of the initiative of some Edinburgh University students.

Some people weren’t sure that CM in Edinburgh could ‘work’ in the way it does in Glasgow where more effort is made to dress up and create a carnival atmosphere. Others weren’t sure that holding up the traffic was a good idea. These were themes that the film had covered, generally concluding that (certainly on the scale they are in Vancouver) CMs raises the profile of cycling – in a good way – and encourages people to cycle as they can experience the fun/safety of cycling with others.

Another Edinburgh ‘problem’ is the fact that there is not much publicity about the actually rides. Quite a few people in the audience didn’t know that there had been eight rides (last Friday of the month from The Mound – 5.30 for 6 o’clock start) since they restarted last year. Various audience members agreed that they would turn up next Friday and some said they would make flyers to hand out in advance, or attach to bicycles. Throughout the world there is a wealth of Critical Mass Art – there’s even an archive of flyers and an annual exhibition in Chicago.

Glasgow CM has a web site and mailing list, perhaps Edinburgh will after Friday.

A lively crowd in Cinema 1 were privileged to see Chas Nairn’s latest work, Extended Family, for the first time. It had only just been finished and included scenes shot in recent days.

There had been a mini preview on Sunday as a three minute ‘teaser’ is included in the Wheel to Reel 2007 winners compilation.

The full length version is an exciting hour and more of cycling tricks and stunts recorded around the world in streetscapes (including Edinburgh) and skateparks and also off-road on the Forestry Commission‘s tracks and jumps around Innerleithen, particularly Glentress.

But the film isn’t just a mix of kids doing stoopid/brave/skillful things it’s carefully shot, (which is difficult given the unpredictable nature of the subjects), showing the riders and their urban/rural context. It’s then skilfully edited with a driving soundtrack mostly from ‘unknown’ ‘MySpace bands’.

Should be on sale from Sunday on Chas’ Brainchild Films web site and also Macdonald Cycles where Chas used to work. Owner Colin was at the premiere last night and watched with admiration and horror – he employs some of the ‘stars’ in the movie and is well aware of the injuries they come to work with!

After watching Beijing Bicycle at the Edinburgh Bike Week Film Festival, Neil Robertson was shocked to discover that his bike had been stolen. The film revolved around the theft of a bicycle.

Full description

Lets hope they are re-united soon.

Seeing it for the first time on a large screen, director Peter Carr realised (as did the rest of the audience) that he had managed to catch the essence of Robert Millar. Peter’s questions produced revealing answers and mannerisms which haunted the screen. In 1986 Peter had made documentaries about people in sport, but knew little of the world of professional cycle racing.

A new biography of Millar was launched in Edinburgh last night and after the film the author, Richard Moore (left), and Peter Carr (right) were encouraged to talk about the film, book, and Millar, guided by Finlay Pretsell, with the help of questions and comments from the stalls.

People left the cinema knowing much more about 1980s cycle racing and the ‘real’ personality of Millar, some of it at odds with his public persona, but aware that there are still mysteries. Has Millar withdrawn from the world or is he merely living out a well earned, perhaps frugal, retirement somewhere – only keeping in touch with those he wants to keep in touch with…

A new young director, Louis Paxton, is showing at the Festival for the first time. He is the writer and director of Bike Thief a fictional documentary about an Edinburgh ned. He also has a leading role.

He has just left Telford College and hopes to go to RSAMD to study DFTV (BA Digital Film and Television). Meanwhile he is earning money as an usher at the Filmhouse where, by chance, his 12 minute film is being shown on Sunday at 6.30.

It was selected for inclusion on the Wheel to Reel DVD after he submitted it to the UK’s first Bike Film and Animation Award It’s one of the shorts being screened on Sunday as part of the Edinburgh Bike Week Film Festival.

EBWFF organiser Maggie Wynn says “They are all fab submissions with films about the Tour de France, a bike thief, cycle speedway, critical mass, Go Ride and much more – all personal. I’d encourage cycling enthusiasts/film makers to come along, enjoy, be inspired, and maybe their film will be up there next year.”

After that there are nine days with more films, Bike Breakfasts, Rides and much much more.

Full details at bikeweekedinburgh.info.