The Engine Inside

This movie shows an excellent perspective from the eyes of different cyclists across the globe and how riding a bicycle has transformed not only their lives but the lives of those in their communities.

The tales told of how cycling has transformed and impacted not only the cyclists' lives but those of the people in their communities is unique. In our modern world, cycling is not at the top of the discussion when multi-modal transportation is planned out. Yet, most people on the planet spend much of their lives within a few miles of their homes. The bicycle has the power to really impact culture and even socioeconomics of communities. The stories of hope, strength and possibility as related to the power of the bicycle are told well here. Watch it!

The Good: Beautifully filmed, some interesting people profiled, and good message about the importance of cycling now and into the future. As a cyclist myself these things hit the mark

The Bad: This movie really struggled to create a cohesive message of a neatly bundled conclusion making it feel like just a bunch of separate interviews and stories were thrown together. I think this might have worked better as a limited documentary series, one for each person and maybe another with experts to bring it all together with data and stuff. 6-7 25-30 minute vignettes that go a bit deeper into each story might have held more impact.

Nothing "ugly"... but I think this film will struggle to find traction outside of the cycling community or maybe the urban development community.

The people are real, and their stories are inspirational on a number of levels. As a former cyclist I could relate to some of the challenges the characters faced. Seeing how the six individuals overcame their challenges peaked my interest from the beginning to the end of the film.

Their determination and innovation in the face of adversity to promote and encourage others to support active transportation in their communities and around the globe makes me hopeful. The film motivates you to cycle for the joy of it, and to advocate for infrastructure in your own community that promotes safe active transportation.

Thank you to Ant Hill films for creating a masterpiece!

I loved this film so much because it gave me a glimpse into the lives of the world-wide cast through their eyes and every-day interactions. They use the bike in so many different ways, to heal from trauma or gain independence, and it's just a reminder how this "toy with 2 wheels" can do so much for us physically and mentally.

We attended a showing of the film in a packed room of cycle enthusiasts. There are such strong messages in each of the stories in this film on the importance that the bicycle plays in peoples lives helping with mental health issues, cultural barriers, joining of friends as well as the physical benefits. The quality of the footage and the presentation of these 6 very different stories captured everybody's attention. When I came away from the film it made me realise that although these stories were very different - often very tough - the bicycle gave them their freedom and their happy place. We all need that.