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Covering a sprawling 1,500 miles (2,400 km) along the Saint Laurence River from Quebec city to Montreal and back, the Tour du St-Laurent was once the longest amateur bike race in the world. The film 60 Cycles (1965) from the French-Canadian filmmaker Jean-Claude Labreque tracks scenes from the 11th and penultimate running of this ‘Tour of New France’ in 1964. Setting the action to the sounds of a groovy surf-rock-infused soundtrack, Labreque renders the competition quite secondary to the mesmerising sights of bodies and bikes in motion against the Gaspé countryside. With its stylish action and kinetic editing, this short film would notably go on to inspire the Star Wars filmmaker George Lucas.
Director: Jean-Claude Labreque
Website: National Film Board of Canada
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Rituals and celebrations
A whale hunt is an act of prayer for an Inuit community north of the Arctic Circle
8 minutes
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Music
The peculiar beauty of a song caught between composition and improvisation
3 minutes
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Rituals and celebrations
A beginner’s guide to a joyful Persian tradition of spring renewal and rebirth
3 minutes
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Love and friendship
Love looks a bit different for a chain-smoking couple in a small apartment
11 minutes
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Biography and memoir
Passed over as the first Black astronaut, Ed Dwight carved out an impressive second act
13 minutes
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Engineering
A close-up look at electronic paper reveals its exquisite patterns – and limitations
9 minutes
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Architecture
West Africa was once an architectural laboratory. Is it time for a revival?
12 minutes
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Biography and memoir
The unique life philosophy of Abdi, born in Somalia, living in the Netherlands
29 minutes
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Art
‘If you’re creative, why can’t you create a solution?’ One artist’s imaginative activism
17 minutes