Rising From Ashes (T.C.Johnstone, 2012);Rwanda/UK/South Africa

Review by Linda Mccomb Viewed at the Metro Four

Rising From Ashes tells the true and triumphant story of cycling legend Jock Boyer’s move to Rwanda to start a cycling team. Narrated by Forest Whitaker, this film covers six years of the lives of five young Rwandan athletes.

The film pulls in the viewer with its colorful scenery, dynamic soundtrack, and strong , likable characters. The cinematography is  simply put “BEAUTIFUL” and I often felt as if I were really there. The film documents Boyer’s journey through the African country of Rwanda in hopes of finding cycling talent good enough to start a team and get Rwanda on the map again. This is a motivating and touching film about trusting one another and finding redemption. The team had to overcome many challenges and I found myself emotionally moved and rooting for them to succeed. Although this is a film about cycling, the real story is about the people of Rwanda, their violent history, their crippling  individual loss’s, and how a bike created a way for them to recover.   Even if you do not have any interest in cycling, you are able to connect with the characters and feel with them as they fight through tribulations and gain triumphs. The countryside of Rwanda is a surprisingly beautiful back drop to this film.

The guys who become team members, each have their own stories, but watching them bond as a team and as friends is the real story. The evolution of their friendship and dependence on Jock is extremely touching. Jocks story and his loyalty to these guys is touching and inspiring.

This was my favorite movie of the festival. The beautiful colors, the sweet spirit of the riders, the moving soundtrack, and the emotional high one gets watching these kids succeed made this movie a joy to watch. Jock, and everyone involved in this film took on a meaningful and unselfish project that helped many young athletes and a country begin to heal. I highly recommend this film.