Cycling films: The corona virus is causing states of emergency all over the world. Most cycling fans are also at home. You can't follow races - and we can't report on them. Therefore we have come up with a small series for the month of April. In the next 30 days we will present you a cycling film every day. Of course you are cordially invited to tell us about your favorite films. We start with the movie Rising from Ashes.
HERE you can see how to watch the film.
Rising from Ashes: Cycling in Rwanda
With Rising from Ashes, one of the best cycling films marks the beginning of our small series. This documentary from producer Forest Whitaker is about cycling in Rwanda. Former US professional Jonathan Boyer moved to the East African country in 2006. There he founded a national cycling team.
Daphne Howland from The Village Voice:
"A remarkable documentary. It's not just about a cycling team. It is a testament to what happens when people take care of each other.”
After the genocide: Rwanda rises from the ashes
The film Rising from Ashes is far from being a pure cycling film. Rather, it revolves around the resurrection of a society that has suffered bitterly in previous years. In 1994, a horrific genocide took place in Rwanda, which is estimated to have killed almost a million people. The riders who join the Rwanda national team are also severely traumatized. Cycling helps them to process what they have experienced. In addition, the organization, which initially only focused on cycling, will ensure that the riders receive further help in the coming years. Because many drivers were malnourished and could not read and write.
Frank Schneck from The Hollywood Reporter:
“The film is crisp and limited to the essentials. He avoids unnecessary melodramatic, which is in fact hardly necessary in a story already laden with such powerful drama.”
Also recommended: Tour du Faso
Africa's cycling is still in its infancy. Due to the circumstances there - especially in relation to nutrition, medical care and infrastructure - even talented young people find it difficult to make the leap to the professionals. In 2014, a German-French documentary film by Wilm Huygen was released under the title Tour du Faso. In 2011, the focus there is on the tour of the same name in the West African country of Burkina Faso. One driver each from France, Burkina Faso and Germany is being pursued. They struggle with the almost unbearable heat, the poorly developed roads, the driving behavior of the participants and the general lack of commercialization.