Big Sky Film Festival Preview: ‘Bicycle Island (A donde nos Ileva)’

The future of Cuban transport arrived on the island a long time ago in the form of bicycles, but decades of abandon rendered them forgotten. As one interviewee in Mitra Elena Ghaffari’s 23-minute film, “Bicycle Island (A donde nos Ileva),” puts it, “In time, nothing lasts.” They’re referring to bicycle infrastructure that once flourished in the 1990s. Some in Havana hope it flourishes again.

In vignettes, select cyclist enthusiasts — the Peanut Vendor, the Artisan, the Paralympian, etc — all refer to the “Special Period,” an era that began with Cuba’s 1991 economic crisis following the secession of Soviet support. For context, as explained on the film’s website bicycleisland.cargo.site, the government imported bikes and infrastructure in Havana during this period and prioritized them until gas-based transportation made a comeback with support from Venezuela. Bikes deteriorated with limited access to parts — and with it, their cultural value. But when transportation disruptions related to COVID-19 began to mirror the struggles of the “Special Period,” bikes began to make a comeback.

“Bicycle Island” spends little time dwelling on why bikes fell to the wayside, instead focusing on what Havana’s people think about reclaiming the transportation resource. Ghaffari lets them tell their own stories about the empowerment and freedom bikes can bring. The film is a little bit about the “Special Period” and today’s parallel needs, but it’s really more about the resiliency and complexity of humanity and bike mechanics.

“Bicycle Island” is one of those films that surpasses the language barrier with its color-popping cinematography and infectious music score. The film, narrated entirely by interviews, conveys as much with its imagery and tone as it does with its English subtitles. The music is especially cohesive with an improv score performed by Ensemble Interactivo de La Habana using bike parts as percussion.

By weaving together the tales of people reclaiming a lost mode of transportation with Cuban history and practical infrastructure issues, Ghaffari gives new meaning to the phrase, “it’s just like riding a bike.”

‘Bicycle Island (A donde nos Ileva)’ screens at the ZACC on Feb. 18 at 7:45 p.m. and on Feb. 23 at 4:30 p.m.. It will be available to stream Feb. 19 to Feb. 29.

(McKenna Johnson)