Cycling in Africa: Namibia
Social & External
The people behind it
A chronology of the 1976 Paris-Roubaix bicycle race from the perspective of participants, organizers and spectators.
Santa Barbara triathlete Neil Myers was nearly killed in a horrific training accident on Gibraltar Road in 2018. One week after the accident, he signed up to compete in a triathlon that was a year away, with a goal of simply crossing the finish line. Four months after healing and leaving rehab, Neil began his cycling training. Only one year after the accident, he surpassed the goal he had set while he was in the hospital. He and his team won the 2019 Santa Barbara Triathlon.
"Africa Light" - as white local citizens call Namibia. The name suggests romance, the beauty of nature and promises a life without any problems in a country where the difference between rich and poor could hardly be greater. Namibia does not give that impression of it. If you look at its surface it seems like Africa in its most innocent and civilized form. It is a country that is so inviting to dream by its spectacular landscape, stunning scenery and fascinating wildlife. It has a very strong tourism structure and the government gets a lot of money with its magical attraction. But despite its grandiose splendor it is an endless gray zone as well. It oscillates between tradition and modernity, between the cattle in the country and the slums in the city. It shuttles from colonial times, land property reform to minimum wage for everyone. It fluctuates between socialism and cold calculated market economy.
Inspired by British mountain bike movies like "A Slice of British Pie", "Tea and Biscuits" and 50to01 vids, we set out to make a mountain bike movie in our town Bellingham, Washington. The key difference being that we wanted to avoid filming only "pro" riders and instead wanted to capture a diverse range of skill levels. The winter of 2021/22 was especially wet in Bellingham with the "atmospheric river" bringing in especially foul conditions. Most self respecting mountain bikers would have hung up their helmet for the season but many of our local river rats continued on with their trail building and riding. Despite mud, grit, snow, hail and torrential rain our local riders were still out there. Capturing these creatures in their natural habitat was our goal. We proudly present to "Atmospheric River Rats" a Bellingham community mountain bike movie.
After a long and arduous dust season the rain has finally returned. Atmospheric River Rats 2 is here now featuring unprecedented levels of community. We hope you enjoy and we couldn't have done it without you. Confused? Decode some of the inside jokes and lore by checking out last year's movie.
28-years-old Josh Crow-Stewart from the South East of England, knows he has just one last chance to realise his dreams of becoming a pro cyclist. With exceptional natural capabilities, this furniture restorer come talented cyclist enjoyed previous success as a young amateur racer but life took over leaving him overweight and out of shape. Rallying his cycling ambition for a final time, this documentary follows Josh as he enlists top high performance coaches, a team of performance researchers, and aerodynamic optimization specialists to give himself the best shot at making it to the big leagues. This warm hearted doc presented by Jonathan Shubert follows Josh over his six month-long journey as he trains hard and races against tough competition in preparation for his final shot at securing a pro team contract.
A mountain so legendary it’s known simply as “The Alpe”, with its unmistakable 21 hairpins it’s cycling’s most famous climb. Not the steepest, or the hardest, but when the Tour de France hits Alpe d’Huez, drama is guaranteed. It’s featured more than thirty times and is eagerly awaited by hordes of fans lining the route. Crowds are estimated to have swelled to over a million and on one of the sport’s most recognisable bends all of Holland seems to camp out; the iconic Dutch Corner. Conor is joined by ex-pro Fränk Schleck who won on the mountain in 2006. His victory cemented his place at cycling’s top table, and Fränk’s name is now immortalised on hairpin eighteen, alongside double stage winner, Hennie Kuiper, who also shares his memories of the mythical mountain.
Detour de France offers a fascinating look inside the world's biggest annual sporting event. The film focuses on three Australians reporting on the world famous cycling event. All three bring a larrikin humour to their antics, which propels the film from mere reportage to something more akin to attending a sporting event with 'the boys'.
With more than 300 days a year, the sun dominates this country so much that it’s even shining from their flag. It’s a barren land, sometimes it’s like it’s from another planet but still familiar. It is land of contrasts and colours with wide landscapes and fascinating deserts. Influenced by various cultures during colonization and now reborn from the shadows of Apartheid in 1990, Namibia gives a beautiful collage of culture, language, art, music and food. Everyone who loves an adventure should travel to Namibia, the precious corner of our world full of incredible natural wonders. The experience of endless landscapes and an unparalleled blaze of colour make Namibia unforgettable. NAMIBIA – THE SPIRIT OF WILDERNESS invites you on a trip whose fascination will never let you go: From the Namib Desert over the breath-taking Fish River Canyon to the spectacular Etosha National Park where you will see wild elephants, antelopes, giraffes, zebras and lions.
"Go Further" explores the idea that the single individual is the key to large-scale transformational change. The film follows actor Woody Harrelson as he takes a small group of friends on a bio-fueled bus-ride down the Pacific Coast Highway. Their goal? To show the people they encounter that there are viable alternatives.
Samen Winnen follows Team Jumbo-Visma behind the scenes of the Tour de France 2019. With four stage wins and Steven Kruijswijk finishing on the podium in Paris, the only Dutch cycling team was one of the most succesful teams.
Between 1904 and 1908, when Namibia was still called German South West Africa and a German colony, up to 60,000 Ovaherero and 10,000 Nama died at the hands of German colonialists. The crimes of the German colonial rulers went down in history as the first genocide of the 20th century. The Afro-German presenter and influencer Aminata Belli travels to the African country to investigate the extent to which the legacy of the German colonial era affects the present day of Namibian society. She pays particular attention to the involvement of the Protestant Church in the subjugation of the indigenous people and the sense of guilt of the descendants of the German settlers as well as the Germans themselves. To do this, the fashion journalist interviews various people on site and pretends to be interested in the following questions: Were the missionaries of the time guilty? How does a country heal when horrific things have happened there? And is reconciliation possible?
The one-off documentary tells the story of two women travelling by bike across the United States, from Canada to Mexico along the Great Divide. A unique adventure through the most remote areas of the Rocky Mountains, between pristine nature and wild animals. An epic journey that led them to travel 4,000 km and climb 60,000 meters and that, day after day, forced them to face their own limits, their strength and fragilities, and tested their relationship. Because every journey is always a love story.
What if you temporarily took leave from the safety of everyday life to battle through a challenge that scares you? What if your only worries were riding, finding food and water and a place to sneak a few hours of sleep? What if you forgot your self-imposed limits just to see what you were truly capable of for once? What if you were a racer at heart? Why wouldn't you want to take on the toughest races on the planet?
The incredible story of the greatest cycling race in history, the 1989 Tour de France, and how American Greg LeMond faced down betrayal, childhood sexual abuse and death completing one of the most inspiring comebacks in history.
The life of Leah Goldstein, a champion kickboxer, undercover operative, and endurance cyclist, is explored in this feature documentary as she attempts to break the record in the world’s most intense bicycle race, the Race Across America.
In 1988, Tilda Swinton toured round the Berlin Wall on a bicycle - starting and ending at the Brandenburg Gate - accompanied by filmmaker Cynthia Beatt. As Swinton travels through fields and historic neighborhoods, past lakes and massive concrete apartment buildings, the Wall is a constant presence.
Before Lance Armstrong, there was Greg LeMond, who is now the first and only American to win the Tour de France. In this engrossing documentary, LeMond looks back at the pivotal 1986 Tour, and his increasingly vicious rivalry with friend, teammate, and mentor Bernard Hinault. The reigning Tour champion and brutal competitor known as “The Badger,” Hinault ‘promised’ to help LeMond to his first victory, in return for LeMond supporting him in the previous year. But in a sport that purports to reward teamwork, it’s really every man for himself.
Female cyclists from all parts of London meet at the Angel Ditton, before cycling to Wisley for a picnic.
Alex Gibney explores the charged issue of pedophilia in the Catholic Church, following a trail from the first known protest against clerical sexual abuse in the United States and all way to the Vatican.
An astonishing journey revealing the awesome power of the natural world. Over the course of one single day, we track the sun from the highest mountains to the remotest islands to exotic jungles.
A string of threatening emails escalates into a revenge plot involving a newly married US marshal and his ex-girlfriend.
In an intimate and joyful story of love in the face of loss, celebrated poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley find strength—and unexpected hilarity—in what might be their final year together.
Al Pacino's deeply-felt rumination on Shakespeare's significance and relevance to the modern world through interviews and an in-depth analysis of "Richard III."
A teen slams her car into a building, killing her boyfriend and his friend. What seems like a tragic accident becomes a murder case.
A group of British children aged 7 from widely ranging backgrounds are interviewed about a range of subjects. The filmmakers plan to re-interview them at 7 year intervals to track how their lives and attitudes change as they age.
49 Up is the seventh film in a series of landmark documentaries that began 42 years ago when UK-based Granada's World in Action team, inspired by the Jesuit maxim "Give me the child until he is seven and I will give you the man," interviewed a diverse group of seven-year-old children from all over England, asking them about their lives and their dreams for the future. Michael Apted, a researcher for the original film, has returned to interview the "children" every seven years since, at ages 14, 21, 28, 35, 42 and now again at age 49.In this latest chapter, more life-changing decisions are revealed, more shocking announcements made and more of the original group take part than ever before, speaking out on a variety of subjects including love, marriage, career, class and prejudice.
After another 7 year wait, director Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born children from Seven Up! and 7 Plus Seven. The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives during the last seven years.
Nine filmmakers each profile a young girl from a different part of the world to weave a global tapestry of youth in the 21st century.
In a crime-plagued neighborhood near Miami, brutal, bare-knuckled backyard fights give young men a chance to earn money -- and self-respect.
In 2019, Nepalese mountain climber Nirmal “Nims” Purja set out to do the unthinkable by climbing the world’s fourteen highest summits in less than seven months. (The previous record was eight years). He called the effort “Project Possible 14/7” and saw it as a way to inspire others to strive for greater heights in any pursuit. The film follows his team as they seek to defy naysayers and push the limits of human endurance.
Photographer Estevan Oriol and artist Mister Cartoon turned their Chicano roots into gritty art, impacting street culture, hip hop and beyond.
Through deeply personal interviews with her siblings and an examination of the photographs, letters, and belongings left behind, Mariska assembles a new portrait of her mother Jayne Mansfield, an extraordinary and complex woman.
Director Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born adults after a 7 year wait. The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives during the last seven years.
This raucous journey into the heart of democracy captures an unusual rite of passage: 1,100 teenage boys from across Texas coming together to build a representative government from the ground up.
After the high-profile killing of Damilola Taylor, Cornelius' family move out of London. But when they discover their new town is run by racists, Cornelius takes a drastic step to survive.
This revealing documentary honors the legendary Sidney Poitier—iconic actor, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. Featuring interviews with Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Halle Berry, and more.
A tribute to Chadwick Boseman, celebrating his life and legacy.
Marlon Riggs, with assistance from other gay Black men, especially poet Essex Hemphill, celebrates Black men loving Black men as a revolutionary act. The film intercuts footage of Hemphill reciting his poetry, Riggs telling the story of his growing up, scenes of men in social intercourse and dance, and various comic riffs, including a visit to the "Institute of Snap!thology," where men take lessons in how to snap their fingers: the sling snap, the point snap, the diva snap.
