A Breezy Bikeride through Transylvania

via utazas.info

This week we present a small gem of a film -- Transsylvania – a Cycle Me Home Story -- which while it has not been totally ignored, has perhaps not found the international audience it should. It’s a 2012 travel film with a fairly simple concept: a few friends bike across the Transylvanian countryside, cameras in hand and a drone above. Transylvania means ‘beyond the woods’ and that’s what we find here: notes to the country lives of the Hungarian populations who maintain their Hungarian identity and culture even though the area they reside in was annexed to Romania as part of the Treaty of Trianon.

But don’t mistake this short documentary for a political screed. What we get are beautiful shots of rolling hills and dense forests, and glimpses of folk dancing and shepherds. Transylvania is now regarded as one of the great (somewhat) undiscovered tourist destinations, and with its Hungarian Székely populations, Saxon villages, picturesque vistas, and traditional values and culture, it is no surprise why. Also, it is quite famous for its wild bears and wolves, which add to the mysterious, haunting feeling of that part of Europe.

Transsylvania – a Cycle Me Home Story, was made by bike enthusiast film-makers Máté Pálla and Levente Klára. The short has been screened at SHAFF, BFF NYC, Rueda, and LLAMFF, Montanha Pico and won the prize for the best road film at the 61st Independent Film Festival in Budapest. In their own words. “In the summer of 2014, a group of friends got on their bikes to ride around the beautiful hills of Transylvania - a magical land that once belonged to Hungary. Inspired by the legendary Sir David Attenborough, this movie tells the story of the cyclists and their experiences in the area in the style of wildlife documentaries.”

So if you want to get a window in on a unique Hungarian culture that has been preserved for generations, amidst beautiful and haunting scenery flying by, take the half hour and watch Transsylvania, delivered to you by bike (in Hungarian with English subtitles).

Flatpack Films is based in Budapest, Hungary. We are a film company that offers an inspiring and professional work atmosphere for our local and international clients. Since our inception, our focus has been providing the best of the best in terms of local production resources, locations, cast, and technical teams to ensure that whatever the production we facilitate, we do to highest standard possible.