In 1945 Holland, with Hitler either reduced to a smoldering corpse back at the Chancellery or tearing through the Atlantic in a South America-bound U-boat, the gears of war had noticeably shifted. For German troops lucky enough to be stationed there, it didn’t matter that many of their Panzers had been reduced to massive, fiery paperweights. Those wacky fascists successfully goose-pedaled off with many of the Dutch’s prized treasures—the country’s bicycles. Supposedly, even today, German tourists renting bikes in Amsterdam are told, “We want these back.” Obviously, the Dutch cherish their bikes.
Long Beach filmmaker Michael Bauch moved to Amsterdam in 2007 so he could document the unique relationship between the city’s inhabitants and their ecologically sound mode of transportation. The resulting film, Riding Bikes With the Dutch , premiered at Long Beach’s Bicycle Film Festival and will be shown again at the Art Theatre due to popular demand—giving you a second chance to be inspired by vintage green technology. Get there any way you can—except by gas-guzzling SUV.
Riding Bikes With the Dutch at the Art
Theatre, 2025 E. Fourth St., Long Beach, (562) 438-5435; www.arttheatrelongbeach.com. 7 p.m. &7.50-$10.
Thu., June 10, 7 p.m., 2010
