Recently I had an email from the folk behind the One Day In April film and thought it was definitely worth sharing; you’ll see I have posted the trailer.
Skilfully made by Thomas Miller, One Day in April picks up on the Little 500, an annual cycle race in America. In their words “…[the film] is a bittersweet portrait of athletic competition in its purest, unadulterated form. . Shot in an intimate cinema vérité style that highlights the struggles and failures of four teams of riders in the Little 500, the expansive narrative of friendship, failure, and redemption plays out across a cast of characters that includes grizzled veterans, rookies trying to find their spot and coaches who work hard and remain devoted to the Little 500.
At a time when collegiate athletics is navigating an increasingly uncomfortable intersection of profit and competition, the Little 500 remains an example of pure sport in America’s heartland. Through the stories of the men and women who make up the Little 500 community, “One Day in April” is a testament to the virtue that sports can demonstrate and the role they play in forging kinships rarely savored otherwise”.
The race itself is on a dusty track with some guaranteed thrills and spills from the furious pace on bicycles with no brakes or gears. You get a real sense of the dedication, training and determination needed to compete in this race along with the highs, lows and heart ache.
And how do you view the film? Or perhaps the question is why should you view the film? You could argue it’s on a couple of different levels. Firstly it documents the Little 500 and who’s involved, what it’s like and what it was like in 2017 for those college students racing. Alternatively you could view it as a motivational film. By this I mean its about the effect of the film. Does it make you want to get out their and do the race yourself, to be there and take part? Does it make you want to be there in the audience or perhaps in a supporting role? Or perhaps it is simply a matter of getting on your bike ~ any old bike ~ and just getting out their to ride?
And here’s the film’s website – right here
Enjoy.
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