“Black Joy is important. Black Healing is important.” –
Director Analise Cleopatra about her debut film, “Pedal Through.”
Join us (tomorrow (Thurs 7/23 at 12pm PT) for the live online debut of “Pedal Through“, a film about three young black women taking on a week-long bike packing adventure full of joy, healing, and mentorship with mother nature in Oregon’s backcountry. Followed by a panel discussion with the film’s cast and crew. This is the second annual Outdoor Adventure Film Grant – “Oregon’s Outdoors Are For Everyone” (OAFG19) – a co-venture between the Oregon Made Creative Foundation and Travel Oregon.
“Pedal Through” invites us into the world of director-lead Analise Cleopatra as she discovers the healing and joy of mountain biking. Analise had never camped or ridden a bike off the pavement when she decided to plan a week-long mountain biking adventure with an all-Black female team: her best friend and fellow newcomer to the sport, Day Toliver, and professional mountain biker Brooklyn Bell. Together, they traverse the Oregon backcountry on an adventure full of exploration, curiosity, waterfalls, old-growth forest, sparkling starscapes, and deep healing. With raw authenticity, Analise shares all the intimate foibles, fear, fun, and beauty of discovering her place in the outdoors. The landscape opens to greet her as she learns to lean into uncertainty, accept support, and trust herself on this wild ride.
The film’s subjects rode 132 miles of the 3 Sisters, 3 Rivers Route in Central Oregon, starting west of Sisters, OR in the Willamette National Forest and ending in Oakridge, OR over the course of 6 days. Here is the route information: https://bikepacking.com/routes/three-sisters-three-rivers/.
“I had never seen three black women in a bike film, and I wanted to make that happen. The physical challenge was appealing too—I had never been on a long bike-packing trip before. I thought that part would be the hardest, but what challenged me the most was stepping into a space of leadership while elevating Analise as a director. I am so proud of this film and I hope we can see more like it in the future!” Brooklyn Bell, professional mountain biker & “Pedal Through” athlete
The film crew, consisting of Aly Nicklas, Alisa Geiser, and Jennifer Daniels, followed in a production van and rode anywhere from 5-25 miles per day with the athletes, including co-director and DP Aly Nicklas who was five months pregnant at the time.
“Oregon’s Outdoors are for Everyone” Grant was provided by the #OregonMade Creative Foundation in conjunction with Travel Oregon.
Oregon’s open spaces and related pursuits are for all.
#OregonMade
@TravelOregon @OregonMadeCF, film subjects:@cleeeopatra @badgal_brooky, @day_toliver and crew: @alynicklas, @alisagieser, @jennifer.cheryl