ABOUT BIKES VS CARS
Bikes vs Cars depicts a global crisis that we all deep down know we need to talk about: Climate, earth’s resources, cities where the entire surface is consumed by the car. An ever-growing, dirty, noisy traffic chaos. The bike is a great tool for change, but the powerful interests who gain from the private car invest billions each year on lobbying and advertising to protect their business. In the film we meet activists and thinkers who are fighting for better cities, who refuse to stop riding despite the increasing number killed in traffic.
In 2013 we had a successful Kickstarter campaign where we received more than 90,000 dollars and 2000+ supporters for the Bikes vs Cars project.
About the director
Fredrik Gertten is an award-winning Swedish director and journalist. His latest works Bikes vs Cars, Big Boys Gone Bananas!* (2012) and BANANAS!* (2009) have met audiences in over 80 countries including leading festivals such as Sundance, Berlinale, Hot Docs, Toronto, IDFA, Melbourne IFF, Sao Paulo IFF and Sheffield. The sale of fairtrade bananas in Sweden almost doubled after the release of the films.
In 1994, Fredrik founded the production company WG Film. He previously worked as a foreign correspondent and columnist for radio, TV and press in Africa, Latin America, Asia and around Europe. Today he combines filmmaking with a role as a creative producer at WG Film – famous for local stories with a global understanding, with several films catching the identity and transformation of his hometown.
DIRECTOR’S NOTE
Born in a city where the bike is the natural choice for going from one place to another, I’ve travelled the world wondering why there are so few bicycles. Now, the car model as we know it has reached an extreme level with constant gridlock and millions of productive hours lost. Frustration is growing and cities need to look into new models.
The new urban biking is pushing this development. It’s a growing movement, which I’ve now seen around the world. People who simply put a sign on their bike saying “ONE LESS CAR.” A Do-It-Yourself attitude towards a global crisis.
It’s a positive message. If all cities adopted the model of Copenhagen, where forty percent commute within the city on bikes, it would be a radical change for the world. Something you can measure in health, pollution, oil usage.
And now the conflict. The car industry is in the center of our economic system. For the car owners and commuters that have become so invested in their lifestyle, it will be painful to change. It’s a conflict that interests me, and that is why I’ve decided to take on this project. A project of passion.
Fredrik Gertten
ACT NOW
Do you want change too? Do you want to help us attract more people to the bicycle movement?
Here’s what you can do:
Help us spread the word about BIKES vs CARS and show that we are many! Follow the film on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Retweet, share and regram. Tag us in tweets, posts and photos and use #bikesvscars to communicate with us. Tag others who you think would be interested, including local “celebrities” that can spread the film even further. We also encourage you to join in and start conversations around the film and related topics. We want to get as much discussion going as possible!
Do you want your community to see the film, but it’s not yet playing in a theatre near you? You can also Host Your Own Screening of Bikes vs Cars! Send your request to hanna@wgfilm.com.
PURCHASE THE FILM
Bikes vs Cars can be purchased to rent or download from Vimeo on Demand, here: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/bikesvscars. Due to some restrictions, the film is geo-blocked in certain countries.
The film can also be purchased on DVD, here.
Please keep in mind that when purchasing the film online or on DVD, this is meant for individual/private use, and not for organized screenings of the film.
To host a screening in your community, at your festival, at your cinema or for your educational institution, please contact hanna@wgfilm.com.
PRESSKIT
PRODUCTION INFO
Title: Bikes vs Cars
Genre: Documentary
Release year: 2015
Length: 88 min
CREDITS
Director: Fredrik Gertten
Producers: Margarete Jangård, Elin Kamlert
Junior Producer: Glynnis Ritter
Executive Producers: Alexandra Galvis, Fredrik Gertten, Chris Paine, Maria Farinha Films: Luana Lobo, Marcos Nisti, Estela Renner
Editors: Benjamin Binderup, Morten Giese, Klaus de León Heinecke, Sascha Fülscher, Phil Jandaly
With support from: The Swedish Film Institute, Nordisk Film & TV Fond, The Media Programme of the European Union, Influence Film Foundation & Malmö Stad
AWARDS
Tempo Documentary FF – Honourable Mention, UK Green FF – Audience Award, Docs Against Gravity – Special Mention, San Francisco Green FF – Best Feature, Cinamambiente – Best Film, Internationales Filmwochenende – Audience Award, Best Documentary
FESTIVALS
In selection: World Premiere SXSW 2015, Swedish premiere Tempo Documentary FF 2015, Environmental FF in the Nation’s Capitol 2015, Ambulante Mexico 2015, Full Frame Documentary FF 2015, Washington DC IFF 2015, Big Sky FF 2015, Eastern Oregon FF 2015, UK Green FF, Docville, Green FF, Docs Against Gravity, Telluride Mountain FF, Docs Barcelona, San Francisco Green FF, Sydney FF, Transylvania IFF, Melbourne FF, Cineambiente, CPH:DOX and many more!