I saw this film at the Mill Valley Film Festival and then caught it on 'Independent Lens' PBS-TV. This isn't the camp fest the title suggests. Director Louis Yansen has crafted a thoughtful documentary about the fab chicks who make motorcycle riding the defining aspect of their personalities. The only common denominator here is ferociously individualistic style. This is an insightful, fair-minded documentary about a sexy topic. A diverse group of women, ranging from an attorney to a Playboy Bunny, discuss their experiences with women's riding clubs, spills, accidents, and harassment. There's the beautiful butch LA motorcycle cop who complains of not being able to exhibit feminine characteristics on the job. There's the bad-ass bartending matron for whom 'white-lining' (riding full speed between cars) is second nature. And there's the model-tall femme sheathed in skintight black leather who explains how an 'outrider' (a woman riding alone, not in a club) has to conduct herself in the typical Harley milieu so as not to excite too much sexual tension. There's the Dykes on Bikes contingent heading up the Gay Freedom Day Parade in San Francisco. And there's Sturgis, South Dakota, where app. 400,000 bikers meet every year for a five day bash a kind of annual Woodstock for bikers.
The portrayal is a funny, realistic depiction of a cross-section of a range of female riders demystifying the traditional negative connotations. They are all unique individuals who have interesting stories to tell. Freedom and independence are the overriding themes here, summed up best by Gayle, the outrider, " People are afraid of freedom, and we represent freedom (As a woman rider) you just have to be a strong individual, who knows how to control her destiny."
I especially liked how each woman's story is compared and contrasted with other stories. They are intercut in thematic sections to create dramatic tension, suspense, and humor. We see one person talk about one thing, then make a slight reference to something else, and that becomes a starting point for a cut to another person to come in and start a new topic. Nice editing job and nicely shot. I would like to see more from this talented filmmaker: the guy shot, edited, produced, directed, brought the coffee, etc. An effort, in this case, really paid of well.
The portrayal is a funny, realistic depiction of a cross-section of a range of female riders demystifying the traditional negative connotations. They are all unique individuals who have interesting stories to tell. Freedom and independence are the overriding themes here, summed up best by Gayle, the outrider, " People are afraid of freedom, and we represent freedom (As a woman rider) you just have to be a strong individual, who knows how to control her destiny."
I especially liked how each woman's story is compared and contrasted with other stories. They are intercut in thematic sections to create dramatic tension, suspense, and humor. We see one person talk about one thing, then make a slight reference to something else, and that becomes a starting point for a cut to another person to come in and start a new topic. Nice editing job and nicely shot. I would like to see more from this talented filmmaker: the guy shot, edited, produced, directed, brought the coffee, etc. An effort, in this case, really paid of well.
