Jul 5, 2012 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Chicago, IL
The Tour de France is not only the most difficult bicycle race in the world, but also a major sporting event, like the Olympic Games or the World Cup. Its venue is an entire country. Major differences in altitude and a competitive field made up of nearly 200 cyclists place enormous demands on the participants. When Pepe Danquart shot his intimate portrait of the Tour de France in 2003, one of the largest sporting events in the world celebrated its 100th anniversary. Yet HELL ON WHEELS is neither an historical review nor a sports report, but a documentary that focuses on the cyclists as people as well as France’s nationwide public festival that unfolds around the tour. Following the rhythm of the daily stages, Danquart plunges into the cyclists’ world, portraying their respect for this “hellish route” and what makes it so distinctive.
Pepe Danquart was born in 1955 in Singen and reached international acclaim as the director of the short film SCHWARZFAHRER, taking home the Oscar in 1994. In addition to his directorial work, the co-founder of the “Medienwerkstatt Freiburg” film collective has taught at the German Film and Television Academy in Berlin and at the Film Academy Baden-Wuerttemberg in Ludwigsburg. Since 2008, he has been Professor for Film at the University of Fine Arts in Hamburg.
© Goethe-Institut Chicago
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