Source: Radio New Zealand
As a child, filmmaker Brooke Darrow remembers going to a funeral for somebody who’d died on a motorbike, then finding it “incredibly confusing” when her dad and brothers continued to ride their bikes around the paddocks like nothing had happened.
To better understand the “allure” of motorbike riding, she made the short documentary Faster Than Fear as part of her Master’s programme at Victoria University, and in 2024, became a rider herself.
“I don’t think it was something that anybody expected me to do, which is why I think I loved it so much. It was something that was just so out of my comfort zone, but what really drew me to it was that community and the people around me,” she tells RNZ’s Nine to Noon.
Now based in London, Brooke Darrow won Best Documentary at the London International Student Film Festival for her short film Faster Than Fear.
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In Faster Than Fear, she wanted to look at the real risks of riding motorbikes, but also leave some air for viewers to form their own opinions around it.
“There’s so much to gain from film as an accessible medium for people to learn about things or get involved in things that they might not otherwise get the chance to hear about.
“This film was about making it digestible and relatable for those who have never had an opportunity or wanted to be able to do those things.”
A still from Faster Than Fear – an award-winning short documentary about motorbike riding by NZ filmmaker Brooke Darrow.
via London International Student Film Festival
“For a lot of people, riding isn’t just about getting on the road and going fast and doing something risky. It’s about this community that they form and the people around them.
“What the film was wanting to touch on was that liminality between grief and adrenaline, where two things can exist at once for all of these people who choose to continue riding as a form of community and solidarity.”
Darrow’s personal interest in motorbike riding came after a couple of really interesting conversations with a flatmate who took her on his bike over the Rimitaka Ranges.
“There is a bit of ambivalence to it because having that history and that personal grief with it is difficult, but it’s gaining that understanding of why this person was in that position. It’s coming to terms with morality, in a sense, but also being as safe as you possibly can on the road, being so aware of your surroundings, wearing all of the right gear. It brings you a lot of confidence.”
Student filmmaker Brooke Darrow
Supplied
Faster Than Fear, which touches on Motocross, road riding and track riding, beat out 200 international entries to win Darrow Best Documentary at this year’s London International Student Film Festival.
Interviews with former world superbike competitor Aaron Slight, four-time women’s motocross world champion Courtney Duncan and longtime mechanic and rider Garth Mitchell appear in the film.
“They were very aware of all of the risks that were inherent to the sport, but had this absolute love of the game and, I suppose, the mechanicship, the team sport and the community.”
Now based in London, Darrow feels she’s well placed to continue developing her filmmaking skills and showcase New Zealand stories.
“The people in London really recognise that and they see how special all of our communities are, so I’m hoping to bring this film to more places globally.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand