a Monday in Hell

Not much bicycle riding in the last few days as I had to stay home with a sick child and the only cycling in the saddle activity I managed to squeeze in was a round trip to the Bicycle Film Festival Greatest Hits on Friday evening. Upon arrival at Arkitektur- och designcentrum I was greeted by an american man smoking a cigarette just outside the building. “Hi, what’s your name?” – “I’m Pierre.” – “Where are you from?” – “I’m from France.” – “Where in France?” – “I was born in Roubaix but…” – “Really? I’m working on a film about Paris-Roubaix. My name is Brendt Barbur by the way. Founder of the Bicycle Film Festival”.

We talked for a while and when Brendt asked me, the amateur cyclist born in Roubaix, whether I had watched a Sunday in Hell or not, I did not really know how to answer and after something like “euhhh…. yes… maybe… no” I had to admit to being a bad student coming to the festival rather unprepared.

I had seen some of the movies of the greatest hits already but some were new to me and the two hour program felt way shorter than it was. The evening ended with Lucas Brunelle’s Off The Grid but even though I know he’s a regular contributor to the Bicycle Film Festival (I respect that) and his movies quiet exciting to watch I still don’t see the point of glorifying reckless riding and, furthermore, still don’t understand the whole meditation and metaphysical bullshit the guy can come up with for a full 20 minutes.

I rode home through hipstermalm and somehow managed to stay on the bike despite all the drunks and taxis using the bike lane for everything but cycling and suddenly it’s Monday. I have the whole day for myself and decide it’s time to work on the fundamentals. I have to watch a Sunday in Hell or I can’t keep blogging about cycling and tell people I’m from Roubaix each time the Queen of the Classics pops up in a discussion. And so I did just that. I just enjoyed a Monday in Hell.

Bicycle Film Festival

Edition 2014 of Bicycle Film Festival Stockholm will be presented at Arkitektur- and designcentrum on Skeppsholmen. Two days (October 3 & 4) full of bike movies, a bike exhibition by Black Label Bicycle Club Stockholm and a cruise through Stockholm city. After the last set of movies on Saturday Bicycle Film Festival will head to Bloms Café with gold sprint race and DJ marathon. Buy your ticket(s) already.

http://vimeo.com/105931469

October 3

19:00 – Program 1

  • BACK TO BATTENKILL, USA 2014 | 4 min. Dir. Josh Miller
  • CLEAN SPIRIT, Netherlands 2014 | 88 min. Dirk Jan Roeleven

21:00 – Program 2, Bicycle Film Festival Greatest Hits

  • MADE IN QUEENS, USA 2008 | Video 10min. Dir. Joe Stevens & Nicolas Randall
  • SKI BOYS, Canada 2006 | Super 8 8min. Dir. Benny Zenga
  • BIKELORDZ: STYLES ALIVE EDITION, Ghana 2012 | HD 10min. Dir. Mikey Hart
  • BOY, England 2012 | Digital 10min. Dir. Justin Chadwick
  • BELLE EPOCH, Italy, USA 2008 | Video 3min. Dir. Robert Chynoweth
  • ON TIME, USA 1985 | 16mm 10min. Dir. Ari Taub
  • THE BICYCLE, USA 2012 HD 7min. Dir. Adam Neustadter and Chris McCoy
  • THE CYCLIST, USA 2013 HD 10min. Dir. Morgan Krantz
  • SISTER SESSION, Estonia 2012 | HD 11min. Dir. Helen Habakuk, Doris Taaker, & Brett Astrid Vomma
  • ROAD SAGE, USA 2013 HD 12min. Dir. Lucas Brunelle

October 4

18:30 – Program 3

  • FIX THE ICELAND, Czech Republic 2014 | 11 min. Dir. Kryštof Hlůže
  • LUCAS BRUNELLE GOES TO AFRICA, USA 2013 HD 7min. Dir. Lucas Brunelle
  • EVOLUTION OF BICYCLE, Denmark 2013 | 1 min. Dir. Thallis Vestergaard
  • TUESDAY NIGHT SPECIAL, USA 2014 | 16 min. Dir. Harry Zernike
  • MELONS, TRUCKS & ANGRY DOGS, Germany 2014 | 56 min. Dir. Kristian & Martin Ansand & Gilluck

20:30 – Program 4, Urban Bike Shorts

  • I’M ALRIGHT, USA 2014 HD 4min. Dir. John Lynn
  • TRON KONG, Hong Kong 2014 | 2 min. Dir. Joshua Wong
  • SPIN!, USA 2014 | 2 min. Dir. Harry Zernike
  • MY RIDE, UK 2014 | 3 min. Dir. Jessie Ayles
  • MY WONDERFUL BICYCLE, USA 2014 | HD 4min. Dir. Steve Olpin
  • HAVANA BIKES, Spain 2014 | 5 min. Dir. Diego Vivanco
  • WHIFFED OUT, USA 2013 | 12 min. Dir Jason Giampietro
  • BIKE FOR BREAD, EGYPT, FRANCE, SWITZERLAND 2013 | 7 min. Dir. Claude MARTHALER and Raphael JOCHAUD
  • DELIVERY, USA 2014 | 10 min. Dir. Christopher Walker, Joshua Simpson, Michael Beach Nichols
  • THE COLDEST MARCH, UK 2014 | 17 min. Dir. Ben Pickett
  • LUCAS BRUNELLE OFF THE GRID, PANAMA, COLOMBIA and USA | 20min. Dir. Benny Zenga

The Bicycle Film Festival (BFF) is an independent film festival that screens films related to urban cycling culture, in cities around the world. It was founded in 2001 and is based in New York. – Wikipedia