On a motorcycle, it’s possible that, in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.
In part, that’s the message that director/writer/producer lori lozinski delivers in her film A Motorcycle Saved My Life, set to premier Feb. 11 at the Victoria Film Festival.
This short documentary film was produced in Vancouver by the National Film Board and documents lozinski’s use of the open road as a vehicle to process her own grief from losing first her father and then, three years later, her mother.
“The message was really that we need to be more present with grief and death … not to fear death. It’s also important to let the people in our lives know that we love them,” said lozinski.
The film presents an intimate glimpse into lozinski’s journey through her grieving process as she bikes through British Columbia and into Northern Alberta’s vast, natural landscapes. She revisits not only the places that were formative in her life, but the experiences that drove her ambition.
The fact that the trip was on a motorcycle was critical to the process.
“I love the presence with nature and the world that surrounds you. It’s a different definition of freedom for everyone, I suppose, but you have to stay present and pay attention. If you aren’t present on a motorcycle, you’re going to die,” lozinski said.
A Motorcycle Saved My Life is actually the second of lozinski’s films to deal with mindful travel on a motorcycle.
In 2020, lozinski earlier teamed with producer Chris Vautour in a film titled The Pilgrimage. In that film, Vautour, who has ridden her own motorcycle for 30 years, recounted a two-day, women-only, mindful journey on Vancouver Island. That quest served as a natural lead-in to this latest film in which Vautour was also involved.
“The two films actually came out of the same idea,” Vautour said. “It’s about dealing with grief but it’s also about the empowerment of strong, independent women.”
For lozinski, the production of A Motorcycle Saved My Life can be stated even more simply.
“Somewhere, in all those kilometres, I learned how to live,” lozinski said.
More information on all the offerings of the Victoria Film Festival can be found at www.victoriafilmfestival.com.