Austin Film Festival - Bike Love
Bike Love is a short documentary film about Kara Minnehan’s bike riding quest in Portland, Oregon.
Interview with Director/Producer Kara Minneha
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I wanted to share my story with other and in doing so hold myself accountable to living car-free.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
To learn more about Portland, Oregon's bike culture from the perspective of female cyclists. Additionally, to find out what it is like to go car-free, including the challenges and advantages of doing so.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Personal themes include self-growth and the concept of getting outside of your comfort zone. The uncomfortable aspects of change are explored with the perspective that growth is important and takes practice. On a universal level, themes of community, sustainability, and feminism are present in the film.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
The film is a representation of the experiences of various female cyclists in Portland, Oregon and the story is impacted by not only my own experience but also the perspectives of others. The sense of discomfort in the beginning of the film I first began the car-free lifestyle shifts over the course of the film. As I got used to the new routine and skills needed to successfully commute by bike, bus, or foot, I began to appreciate the advantages of slowing down and doing less in order to accommodate a car-free lifestyle.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
A number of people feel inspired to bike more themselves and a few have ventured to try living car-free. A consistent response has been, "I could never do that myself." And of course on the opposite end of the spectrum are the cyclists who have been living car-free for years and do not understand why anyone would choose to use cars as a primary mode of transportation.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I find the spectrum of feedback to be interesting. After shooting the film in Portland, Oregon I moved to Detroit, Michigan with my partner. I have found that feedback and perceptions are vastly different in the "Motor City" (Detroit) as opposed to Portland. For the folks who express a high degree of fear or doubt that they could go car-free themselves, I like to bring up the moderate side of my own value set in regards to living a sustainable lifestyle. For me the goal is not be perfect, but rather open to the idea that perhaps I can try new things that are better my own health and the health of the planet.
For the cyclists who are long-time car-free livers, I say, "you are incredible and you inspire me to try harder myself." With that said, I do think that commuting by bike, foot, or public transport is largely dependent on the infrastructure of your city. Portland is equipped with bike lanes, public transportation, and a culture of motorists who are used to sharing the road with cyclists and pedestrians. I think that all of these factors play an important role in sustaining and encouraging alternative modes of transportation.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I appreciate the opportunity to feature my film on "We Are Moving Stories". By sharing my story of self-growth and the steps I have taken to explore sustainability through the choices I make, I hope to inspire others to examine not only what they can do in the future, but what they are already doing. We are all going to have a different focus point, and if living car-free is not accessible to certain people, there are other ways to reduce dependence on cars, such as planning out your weekly errands in order to increase efficiency, and reduce the number of times you have to stop by the store, etc.
Making the decision to drive less is equally valuable, and is not an easy task. If you walk to the store, to yoga, or to work once a week (instead of zero times a week), you are making a difference in the long-run. Balancing your time, energy, and resources is truly a work of art. I believe that living with mindfulness and exploring sustainable choices is a process, and by no means do I feel that I have figured it all out
-
I will be figuring it out today, tomorrow, and the rest of my life.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We have already completed the film, so at this point building awareness through multiple media platforms, such as "We Are Moving Stories" will help amplify the film's message. We are interested in submitting the film to additional film festivals as this is a great way to reach our audience. After screening the film at Austin Film Festival, it was clear that the film is a springboard for dialogue, which is exactly the goal of Bike Love.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
More than anything else, my hope is that the film offers audience members to think about how their own choices impact their own quality of life, as well as the health of the planet. My intention is not to elicit shame or any feelings of guilt for using a car, but rather to offer my own story and what I learned from the experience. We live in a world that is very fast paced, and the choice I made to sell my car and commute by bike, bus, and foot, was a decision that actively challenged my need to keep pace at that level. Instead, I asked myself what I could get go of and in what areas of my life I could simplify. If you are someone who tends to over-effort and over-extend, you are like me and many others.
My hope is that this film would offer the perspective that it could be different, and that it is up to each and every one of us to take charge of life if we want to experience more ease, gratitude and fulfillment. In order to get there we have to examine which choices and corresponding behaviors invite chaos, haste, and angst. It's not easy work, but definitely worth it.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
If you were to identify one area of your life that you want to shift or grow, what would that be? What are some of the obstacles to reaching this goal and how would you overcome those challenges in order to reach your goals?
Would you like to add anything else?
Bike Love Documentary is dedicated in loving memory to James "Pete" Walsh (1948-2013). Pete was a passionate cyclist and dedicated member of Bike Love's Board of Directors. During his lifetime, Pete logged over 25,000 miles on his bike, about the same distance as the circumference of the planet
.
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Kara Minnehan is currently orking to distribute Bike Love and discuss the film in public event settings. In the future, Kara hopes to produce another short film with a focus on human rights or global policy.
Interview: October 2016
_______________________________________________________________________________
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
_______________________________________________________________________________
ike Lov
Bike Love is a short documentary film about Kara Minnehan’s bike riding quest in Portland, Oregon.
Length:
12 minute
Director:
Kara Minneha
Producer:
Kara Minneha
Videographer and Editor: Kevin Hanzlik (Typeset Film)
Sound Mir and Location Audio: Alison Grayson
About the writer, director and producer:
Producer/Director: Kara Minnehan currently lives in Detroit, Michigan. After Directing a documentary short in college titled, "Women in Prison; A Cycle of Darkness", Kara produced "Bike Love" while completing her graduate studies in Social Work. Kara's passion for sustainability, wellness, and human rights will impact future film projects.
Videographer and Editor:
Kevin Hanzlik has worked in film, television, and commercial production for twelve years with experience in development, physical production, and post-production. He spent six years in Los Angeles working in the film industry while honing his craft as a writer/director. He now lives and operates out of Portland, Oregon. Learn more at: typesetfilm.com
ound Mixer and Location Audio:
Alison Grayson is an award winning filmmaker who specializes in sound mixing and location audio recording. Her work has been heard on network television such as Discovery, NBC, National Geographic, MTV, TLC, and Animal Planet, at top tier film festivals including Sundance, in theaters, commercials, and other diverse media platforms. Learn more at: alisongrayson.wordpress.com.
Key cast:
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists):
Funders:
unded by donations from family and friends which were processed through Hollywood Theatre (see below).
ade in association with:
ke Love is a sponsored project of the Hollywood Theatre in Portland, Oregon.
Release date:
TBD
Where can I watch it in the next month?
ou can see the trailer on bike-love.or