Pedaling Towards a Better Future
is first and foremost about humanity and our collective ability to enact positive change through cooperation and generosity, and only secondarily about the beauty and benefits of cycling. It explores bike coops — volunteer-run, DIY bike shops that serve their local communities by providing affordable resources and guidance to enable all people to fix and maintain their bicycles, wonderful things in their own right. The cooperatives are ultimately just an abstract network of a rotating supply of members and customers grounded by a physical space, all of whom are drawn there for different reasons and who contribute a unique energy to the whole. The film is about them more than anything, what makes them tick, what they add to these communities, and what they gain. The doc as a whole is meant to inspire while serving as a celebration of life and the best of humanity.
But it’s more than just that
What’s it going to be like?
If I had to give any comparison, it would be
Think if this project were instead titled Bike Coops, which it very well could be, and then you have a very clear idea right off the bat what it’s about. However, of course, it’s a deceptive title, as it’s not really about the bike coops as a concept, but about the down to earth reality of the wonderful variety of people that form them, members and customers alike. While ostensibly united by this common thread of a relation to a community bike shop, the connection goes deeper than just that, with people sharing personal stories and wisdom ranging from politics to how to live a good life, all while delighting the viewer! You’ll laugh, smile, and be fascinated by the character of the people on screen. By the end, you’ll inadvertently find YOURSELF as the subject of the film, questioning your own relationship to the world around you and feeling infected with a kind of communal joy that can be hard to find today. All in all, it’s supposed to be an easy, enjoyable watch that nourishes the soul in under half an hour.
For those familiar, these are also good references:
Who’s involved?
This all depends on an individual-by-individual basis, but here is just a taste of the variety of organizations I have within reach in California:
You may have noticed a theme to their names. There’s a reason for that ;)
Who is making this?
Sunset biker, sandwich lover, and coconut water enthusiast Jacob Prazer. Dropping this illusion of third person, it’s me.
Born and raised in the Bay Area, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue filmmaking. Not just “Hollywood,” though, but unique and singular films that scratch those itches we all have. Growing up, I loved the idea of entertaining people and providing smiles, and I believed in laughter being the best medicine, yet I still have an inclination towards being a researcher and writer more than a jester, which leads me to where I’m at today.
Nothing is more fulfilling to me than creating things that shine a light on the unseen and undervalued things that I believe are beneficial to us all, especially on a fundamental level. It’s my goal to show the hidden wonder of everyday and to try to cultivate a thirst and a thrill for life so that we may collectively work to make it better for one another. In regards to this project, I don’t necessarily think bikes alone can save the world, but I sure believe we can, and I aim to use the inspirational stories of these people who work at bike co-ops to illustrate how amazing and easy it can be to come together and do good.