Global Border issues are resurfacing as we enter a new era of uncertainty. From Student to Retiree, we are a multi Generational team representing a diverse mix of occupations, nationalities, genders, and religions. The Crew will look to draw from their varied experiences to bring this story to life.

“The Fall and The Ride”

A Documentary Project                                                                                                                     November 2019

 

Hi there, my name is Rob Dawson, I'm a Photographer and Film Maker, and I like to roast my own coffee... but that's another story.

Our Project centres around a Bikepacking event in Germany, but this is no ordinary BikePacking event.

It is truly unique, in many ways, as you will see.

 

 

Going back in time for a moment, 9th November 1989  is the date the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain came down. I was in Berlin photographing the Wall only a handful of days before it came down.

It was a time of change and hope, there was an electric atmosphere in the air, you could tell that something was going to happen. 

At the time, the UK number 1 was Lisa Stansfield with “All Around the World” and Europe rejoiced as it pointed towards the end of the Cold War. This in turn signalled the end, or at least, lessened the prospect of a third World War. It’s sobering to think that you could have been shot for riding a bicycle in Europe only 30 years ago

 

This is where Gunnar Fehlau comes in...
I’d arranged to meet Gunnar in Gottingen, Germany, in July of 2019.

I wanted to find out about a Bikepacking event that he had devised. Born out of his fascination with the ultimate Bikepacking route that follows the Rocky Mountains from Canada to Mexico, known as the Tour Divide, he decided that Germany should have its very own Tour Divide. To cut a long story short, The Grenzsteintrophy (GST) route follows the 1200km German section of the old Iron Curtain Border.

Travelling at times on slotted concrete Panzer Tank Plates, you pass numerous remarkable museums, artworks, and representational sculptures along the route. Gunnar has managed to mix a challenging adventure with an important lesson from history in his own “lest we forget” annual event. This ride is unrivalled as an experience.

If Gunnar was after his own “Divide” race, he couldn’t have hit on something more definitively German in it’s historical uniqueness, not to mention its degree of difficulty...

 

The Project

With our team of renowned cyclists, we will ride the GST in June 2020 in its entirety, as set by Gunnar, and his team of "Scouts" who help with their own familiar sections of the route.

When the Iron Curtain fell there was real hope for the future, but that future is now and we are in danger of not learning some lessons from history. We will be riding the route in the year of the 30th anniversary of German Reunification, and when there is already so much that divides and isolates people and communities, what better time to bring people together. Purely by cycling this historic route you will challenge the dichotomy between freedom and repression. We will document the riders journey, chart their progress and experiences, and bring this evocative piece of history back in the forefront of people’s minds.

 

I must acknowledge my friend Christopher Bennett, who originally brought this event to my attention.

It was he, who managed to get to the end of the 2016 edition of the GST before anyone else. I say get to the end because as is traditional with Bikepacking events, there is no finish line, no prizes, no official celebration and no victory podium.  Just the end of a journey, along with your own thoughts. As it turns out, there were only three people behind Chris, not because only four entered, on the contrary, only four riders finished the whole course out of the 70 that started. Such is the attrition of the GST.

 

We are currently in Pre Production, busily putting this Crowd Funding proposal together with a launch date of 12th February 2020. Our Crew of 8 are looking forward to the adventure. Filming will start in Frankfurt on 15th June and will continue to 29th June. 

Once the Film is finished in Autumn of 2020 we will be looking to submit to as many International Film Festivals as we can.

 

 

Once there was a Wall - now there is a bike ride...    well at least that’s a start!

 

Ways you can help...

*Contribute Financially, even the smallest amount will help.

*Spread the word about our project:

*Follow, Like and Share our Social Media Links (at top of page)

*Contact us at [email protected]

 

* Please note that US Dollars are the currency setting for the Incentives.

Thanks for coming along for the ride!

 

Rob