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The Bicycle Film Festival rolls into New Orleans this weekend with a
party (location TBA) Friday night and three slates of films Saturday.
The 2006 documentary B.I.K.E. (9 p.m.) is a gritty foray
into New York City clubs of bohemian bike enthusiasts who assemble tall
bikes and ride them in jousting competitions (pictured). One of the
filmmakers, Anthony Howard, was so taken with the Black Label Bicycle
Club, he sought to join, joust and become its leader. His personality
and efforts are as self-destructive as they are narcissistic, but they
deliver an amazing look at the passions driving the clubs. A more
bizarre odyssey is featured in Where Are We Go (5 p.m.),
which follows a group of riders on the 2008 Tour d'Afrique, a grueling
7,000 mile, four-month trek from Cairo, Egypt, to Capetown, South
Africa. With minimal narrative or explanation, the film trails the
travelers as they ride up to 70 miles per day, sometimes through
arduous stretches of sand and dirt road. The camera is often focused on
the small communities they ride through, the people they meet and odd
customs they observe. Peddling mile by tough mile results in a unique
look at the continent's little-seen expanses and riders offer candid
reflections about themselves and the experience. It's an amazing
collage of a travelogue. Short films cover a wide range of bike-related
subjects. Saturday's afterparty is at the Saint (961 St. Mary St.).
Visit www.bicyclefilmfest.com for film
descriptions. Tickets $8 per showcase. — Will
Coviello
Bicycle Film Festival
Fri.-Sat. Dec. 4-5
Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Arts Center, 1618 Oretha Castle Haley
Blvd., 827-5858; www.zeitgeistinc.com
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Tags: Bicycle Film Festival