Rising From The Ashes (2012)

Synopsis/Description

In Rwanda, ‘The Land of a Thousand Hills’, the bicycle is essential to life. It is how you move. It is how you work. And during the Genocide, it is how you survived. Stand on any corner of any village through- out the country, and farmers will scream down hillsides barefoot on 25 year old bikes loaded with 100 pounds of potatoes, taxi drivers peddle diligently with a mother and daughter in tow, and a child amuses himself for hours guiding a bent wheel down alleyways. It seems natural, maybe destined, that bike rac- ing has a rich history in Rwanda. For decades the country has participated in the sport, hosting local races for bragging rights, riding barefoot, many times without brakes or gears. During 100 days in 1994, as five and half lives were systematically murdered per minute, thousands of Rwandans escaped certain death on their bikes. When the dust settled and the perpetrators were subdued, the country mourned the death of nearly one million of their countrymen. Amidst the heartache and trauma, a committed group of young cyclists began importing racing bikes into the country with the hopes of resurrecting the sport. In 2005, legendary bike builder Tom Ritchey explored the country on his bike, and upon meeting a group of cyclists who called themselves Team Rwanda, left with the vision there was potential for a National Team, and a question. What if they could make it to the Olympics?

Country : Rwanda

Director : T.C. Johnstone

Executive Producer: Forest Whitaker

Producer: T.C. Johnstone, Greg Kwedar

Writer/s : Gregg Helvey

Cast/Subject/s : Johnathan ‘Jock’ Boyer, Adrien Niyonshuti, Tom Ritchey

Runtime : 1hr 22 mins

Themes : Cycling , Building a team , Ambition

Availability/Where to watch : Youtube > https://youtu.be/TCMN99btdRs?si=5fJCzOB2I_wO508g