Rising From Ashes

D: T.C. Johnstone

“Cycling is about suffering. You cannot be a cyclist without going through incredible amounts of pain,” opines cycling giant Jock Boyer at the outset of Rising From Ashes. For the children of 1994’s Rwandan genocide – in which 800,000 of their friends, family, and countrymen were killed – suffering and loss comes naturally. Executive-produced and narrated by actor Forest Whitaker, Rising From Ashes is a crisp, visually striking, and affecting reflection on the birth of Rwanda’s first national cycling team, which merged Boyer, renowned for being the first American to compete in the Tour de France, with five intrinsically gifted, yet non-battle-tested Rwandan cyclists. Each subject brings their own freight of hardship to the training table, including Boyer, who previously served time in prison. For the young Rwandans he mentors, the film includes the imperative expository segment on the genocide to help illustrate what they’re boldly racing away from.

Thursday, Oct. 18, 7:30pm, Bob Bullock IMAX; Wednesday, Oct. 24, 8pm,
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This article appears in October 19 • 2012.

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