‘The Impossible Ride’ Set to Premiere at Bicycle Film Festival

This Saturday, June 15th marks the world premiere of ‘The Impossible Ride,’ which takes place at the Bicycle Film Festival in Brooklyn, NY.

(See the full Adventure Shorts program here)

Directed by Eben Hall, the 16-minute short doc profiles Denise Mueller’s attempt at breaking the world land speed record on a paced bicycle (167 mph).

The story takes place from Utah’s famed Bonneville Salt Flats, where optimal conditions offered Mueller her crack at history.

A director Q&A will follow the screening at First Unitarian Universalist Congregational Society (Brooklyn, NY).

Director’s Statement
The Impossible Ride was nearly two years in the making. I started speaking with Denise in January of 2017 about filming her record attempt that September. Less than a month later Denise called back — she’d had a terrible training accident and broken her shoulder blade and rib. The attempt (and our film) was scuttled, and it was unclear when or if she might try again. One year later, Denise was back on the bike and training in earnest for a 2018 shot… all systems were go.

On September 10th, 2018 my co-producer Adam Wolffbrandt and I pulled onto the Bonneville Salt Flats to (hopefully) watch Denise make history. The salt flats are a surreal and beautiful place. They are also incredibly challenging to film on. For miles in every direction there is nothing but flat, white salt. The sun’s reflection is blindingly bright and there is nowhere to hide. Food, water, generators, toilets — everything has to be trucked in. Over the next few days we watched the empty flats transform into a hive of activity as the fastest cars and motorcycles from around the world arrived for their shot at a speed record.

As the sun rose on the last full-day of racing, my nerves, retinas, and body were shot. By that point there had been two failed attempts, innumerable mechanical failures, and a full course shutdown due to extreme winds. In the end, of course, those obstacles made the outcome that much more satisfying. I hope this film reminds viewers of the power of hard work and persistence. And how much fun it is to go fast.

The film will release digitally on Great Big Story later this year.