B.I.K.E. at Silverdocs '06 June 17, 2006

B.I.K.E.
Jacob Septimus, Anthony Howard
USA, 2005, 89 minutes

Saturday, 6/17 at 10:15 PM
DC Premiere
SILVERDOCS AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival

The New York City chapter of Black Label Bicycle Club is a surly but lovable crew of punks, artists and activists. Fighting capitalism, dumpster-diving, sitting drunkenly atop six-foot bicycles with big sticks-these are high-intensity guys (and occasionally gals) that drink hard and playfully joust each other and rival gangs, but still hug and cook each other vegan food.

Co-director Anthony Howard wants desperately to be a member of Black Label. He's been on the periphery for years, and his desire to be initiated coincides with his filmmaker's urge in B.I.K.E.

Shortly after his initial joust, Howard's life begins to collapse. His longtime girlfriend is in rehab and leaves him. Diving into depression, Howard's drunken bike-jousting is no longer the most dangerous element of his self-destruction. A "bro-mance" grows between him and Black Label's star jouster Doyle, as Howard strives to be a part of the Black Label fold while Doyle is moving out of it. Conflicts thrive, and we watch, helplessly rapt, as his self-destruction worsens.

B.I.K.E. is as much a history of the pro-bicycle movement as it is a story of self-destruction and recovery. It provides a window into a hyper-masculine subculture. Everything about B.I.K.E. is cool-the tall bikes, the style, the filmmaking and the subjects-but being cool can be difficult. We empathize with Howard's desire to join the Club, despite all their conflicts. The battle for individuality and acceptance rings strongly in this film.

For tickets, please visit www.SILVERDOCS.com or drop by the AFI Silver box office.

The AFI Silver Theater is located two blocks north of the Silver Spring Metro station on the redline, in the heart of downtown Silver Spring, MD.

Official Website: http://www.silverdocs.com