The fructiferous relationship between motorcycles and the film industry has definitely been helpful in shaping some iconic images both older and newer generations of riders still feel inspired by. Think Marlon Brando in The Wild One, or the legendary Steve McQueen’s scene escaping his German pursuers riding the iconic Triumph TR6 Trophy in The Great Escape. The non-conformist Wyatt and Billy, portrayed by Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper on a self-discovery trip across America in Easy Rider are very likely to spring to mind as well.
While the aforementioned old Hollywood stars embodied that sense of freedom, carefreeness and independence we get from a joyful ride, a more recent wave of storytellers has found a more intimate, raw and relatable way to capture these feelings in a short film format. Without further due, these are 5 inspiring short films to know (if you don’t know them yet):
1. LONG LIVE THE KINGS (2012)
Follow the masterminds from Blitz Paris on a soulful trip through France, while they reflect on the meaning of hitting the road on a motorcycle.
2. THE WOMEN’S MOTO EXHIBIT (2013)
Aimed at revealing the new wave of devoted women motorcyclists, this 4-minute short film introduces us to the international photo exhibit by the same name created by photographer and motorcyclist Lanakila MacNaughton in 2013.
3. CHABOTT ENGINEWRING (2010)
It was thanks to this post by Bike Exif that we came across this gem. We absolutely encourage anyone to go enjoy this almost 3-minute long short film by director Henrik Hansen about Japanese motorcycle builder Shinya Kimura, who claims that, for him, “a motorcycle is more than art”.4. BLACK LIGHTNING: THE ROLLIE FREE STORY (2011)
Awarded “Meilleur Court Métrage /Best Short Film” in this year’s Festival Du Film Moto de la Côte d’Azur, Black Lighting: The Rollie Free Story is an American, 35-minute long film by director Zach Siglow about the legendary racer Rollie Free, who set a speed record on a Vincent HRD Black Lighting at 242 km/ hour in 1948.
5. THE BUILD (2013)
An exceptional, beautifully produced short film that digs into the minds of three Portland-based motorcycle builders and the hopes, dreams and ambitions behind their craft.
We hope these 5 recommendations will inspire you as much as the likes of McQueen, Newman or Brando did. Plus there are many other short films less than 2 clicks away.
Thanks for keeping up to date with Halley, and if you don’t want to miss out on any future posts, consider subscribing to our newsletter!