info
/
Momentum: Exposure Film Program
I created this short video during a filmmaking program in Whistler, Canada with Jeff Schmuck, Editor of Forecast Magazine.
Made in Motion
Made in Motion is a short documentary about Tokyo’s informal bike infrastructure and the people who rely on it. The city’s many narrow roadways discourage through traffic and require slow speeds–creating an informal network of shared streets. And unlike many bike-friendly cities, a majority of Tokyo’s cyclists are women. Women on bikes are so prevalent that the bicycle most often used for daily rides and errands is called a “mamachari,” literally a “mom’s bike.” But the city is gradually losing its cyclists as cars dominate roads. Without reallocating street space for safe connections and protected bike lanes on Tokyo’s large roadways, this trend will continue. Made in Motion charts a research trip made by Ben Sant-Johnson and his mother, the author Alison Sant, for her book Streetlife. It follows the stories of cyclists whose experiences and advocacy are the focus of her work. Seen through her son’s perspective, as an American navigating Tokyo by bike, it explores the rhythms and hopes of people moving through the city on two wheels. Together, they interviewed bicyclists, advocates, and community members involved in efforts to shape the future of the city’s streets in support of Tokyo’s unique cycling culture. This is the shorter version that was shown at Bicycle the Film Festival.
Made in Motion is a short documentary about Tokyo’s informal bike infrastructure and the people who rely on it. The city’s many narrow roadways discourage through traffic and require slow speeds–creating an informal network of shared streets. And unlike many bike-friendly cities, a majority of Tokyo’s cyclists are women. Women on bikes are so prevalent that the bicycle most often used for daily rides and errands is called a “mamachari,” literally a “mom’s bike.” But the city is gradually losing its cyclists as cars dominate roads. Without reallocating street space for safe connections and protected bike lanes on Tokyo’s large roadways, this trend will continue. Made in Motion charts a research trip made by Ben Sant-Johnson and his mother, the author Alison Sant, for her book Streetlife. It follows the stories of cyclists whose experiences and advocacy are the focus of her work. Seen through her son’s perspective, as an American navigating Tokyo by bike, it explores the rhythms and hopes of people moving through the city on two wheels. Together, they interviewed bicyclists, advocates, and community members involved in efforts to shape the future of the city’s streets in support of Tokyo’s unique cycling culture. This is the shorter version that was shown at Bicycle the Film Festival.