Film / News
Cyclescreen pedals back for more
Cyclescreen returns to the Watershed from Thursday August 20 to Sunday August 23 with another packed and eclectic programme of two-wheeled entertainment. The Bristol Bike Film Festival kicks off with an illuminating history of cycling, celebrates two of the greatest women cyclists, explores some of the sport’s most memorable contests, and concludes with the inspiring story of a deaf Scotsman who cycled to the Arctic Circle. Here’s the full programme:
Thur 20 August
Bicycle: A Great British Movement
A documentary from BAFTA-winning director Michael B. Clifford which tells the story of the rise, fall and rise again of cycling in the land that invented the modern bicycle. Contributors include Sir Dave Brailsford, John Grimshaw, Chris Boardman, Sir Chris Hoy and Mike Burrows. The screening is followed by a Q&A with John Grimshaw, founder of Sustrans and creator of the National Cycle Network; David Sproxton, cycling advocate and Executive Chairman of Aardman Animations; and Ian Barrett, Sustrans Regional Director for the South West.
A 2013 documentary exploring the life and work of the eponymous octogenarian, who’s spent five decades exploring the world, mostly by bicycle, and is hailed as Ireland’s foremost travel writer. It’s screened with the short film Come On Eileen, which tells the true story of Eileen Sheridan, who battled to become a pro-cyclist in the 1950s, setting records that would stand for decades. This one’s narrated by comedian Josie Long.
Fri 21 August
Scottish director Finlay Pretsell and author and cycling journalist Daniel Friebe discuss their upcoming film, which aims to capture the essence of professional cycling. Expect exclusive footage and behind-the-scenes stories from the upcoming film, plus a screening of Finlay’s award-winning short film Standing Start, featuring Olympic medallist Craig MacLean.
A landmark 1974 documentary about Belgian Eddy Merckx, who’s considered to be the greatest cyclist of all time. Between 1961 and 1977, he notched up 524 career victories, including five Tour de France wins, five Giro d’Italia’s and four World Championships. The screening will be introduced by writer and broadcaster Daniel Friebe, author of Eddy Merckx: The Cannibal.
Saturday 22 August
An engrossing documentary looking back at the pivotal 1986 Tour de France, and in particular the friendship-turned-bitter-rivalry between French cycling legend Bernard ‘The Badger’ Hinault and American Greg LeMond. It’s screened with the short film Davis and Connie, which follows inspiring road racers Davis Phinney and Connie Carpenter-Phinney on their journey to the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and deals with Davis’s subsequent experiences of living with Parkinson’s disease.
A talk by professional time-trialist and author Michael Hutchinson, who examines the rich history of cycling’s World Hour Record and recounts his own attempt to claim it through a relentless obsession to go faster.
The Impossible Hour/Moon Rider
A triple-bill of films about the British tradition of time-trialling. The Impossible Hour is Jørgen Leth’s 1974 documentary about his compatriot Ole Ritter’s attempt on the world hour record. Moon Rider is the coming-of-age story of Danish time-trial speciaiist Rasmus Quaade. The programme is completed by locally made short Up Up Up, in which filmmaker Thomas Heald travels to Cheddar Gorge to explore the hill climbing scene.
Sunday 23 August
An illustrated talk in which Nick Hand, cyclist and founder of Bristol’s The Letterpress Collective and bicycle designer Robin Mather, from The Bicycle Academy, discuss their recent collaboration The Printing Bike Project, involving building a custom made bicycle which they rode to Mainz in Germany.
Cycling author and journalist Herbie Sykes talks to Jack Thurston, presenter of The Bike Show Podcast, about his latest book, which recounts the extraordinary story of East German racing cyclist Dieter Wiedemann who rode the 1964 Peace Race under socialism and Stasi surveillance before dramatically defecting to the West.
A drama-doc about profoundly deaf Scotsman James Duthie, better known as Dummy Jim. In 1951, Duthie biked from his small Scottish fishing village to the Arctic Circle and back again. Together with Bristolian deaf actor and filmmaker Samuel Dore, Matt Hulse set out to retrace Duthie’s long journey through northern Europe. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Matt Hulse and preceded by a live performance by local electronic/musique concrète/conceptual pop group The Twelve Hour Foundation, who appear on the Dummy Jim soundtrack.
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