I do usually break things. Sometimes (rarely) I get awarded for it.
So it is with the tale of Moto Borgotaro, a short, face-melting documentary about master motorcycle mechanic Peter Boggia and his hand-built 1979 Moto Guzzi Le Mans that tears the seat outta pants and make men into piles of goo, not unlike Monica Bellucci.
The film has been in a handful of festivals, including Jalopnik (where it was the only motorcycle film in its category, thank you) Hollywood Film Festival, and the Motorcycle Film Festival. People really seem to like it, but I was still very excited when Robert Hardy, writer for nofilmschool.com, wanted to do a piece on it.
Not only does Moto Borgotaro defy many of the stylistic conventions that have come to define “maker docs,” but it also sets a new standard for the genre of bike shop videos, which almost always feature grinder sparks shot in slow motion. The film accomplishes this by drawing heavily from cinema history to create an aesthetic reminiscent of a spaghetti westerns, grindhouse, and Tarantino films. In the context of a short doc, however, these narrative stylings feel fresh and vibrant, and they definitely help Moto Borgotaro break the mold for what a piece like this can look and feel like.
Them’s some fine words.
It’s a great write-up, and Robert really got at what we were trying to accomplish… to make something different. This is a media saturated world and it’s all too easy to follow the leader because it’s safe. I’m just saying it’s more fun to take a chance, even if that chance might land you a bunch of confused faces.
In this case it left no faces. The film melted the faces right off.
Thanks to everyone that has supported this little doc, all the festivals and online platforms like Vimeo who have shared the doc, and all the viewers that enjoyed the doc.
Now get out and ride.
Rs
The TravelClast 