Experiencing Interruptions?

A Moment in the Sun

In the early days of solar vehicle racing, one of the most
unlikely competitors was a Turkish nuclear physicist living in
Australia named Ugur Ortabasi. He conceived a four-seated,
solar-powered, tandem bicycle only a mother could love, but in
true underdog fashion, it would go on to win the 1986 World
Championships of Solar Vehicles. The story behind this unlikely
victory was anything but sunshine and smooth sailing.

  • Leslie and Oktay Ortabasi
    Director
    On The Wings of the Monarch, Backyard Bugs, Connections to the Land and In Search of the Pantanal. Oktay recently completed cinematography on Scott Saunder’s epic feature documentary The Nature Makers.
  • Oktay Ortabasi
    Writer
  • Leslie and Oktay Ortabasi
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 9 minutes
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Leslie and Oktay Ortabasi

A Moment in the Sun is Directed
and Produced by award winning
filmmakers Leslie Ortabasi and
Oktay Ortabasi. The primary
focus of their documentary work
is on wildlife, environment and
sustainability.
Their past projects include On
The Wings of the Monarch,
Backyard Bugs, Connections
to the Land and In Search of
the Pantanal. Oktay recently
completed cinematography on
Scott Saunder’s epic feature
documentary The Nature Makers.
Their films have played at these
notable film festivals: Santa
Barbara IFF, Sonoma IFF, Palm
Springs IFF, Environmental Film
Festival in the Nation’s Capital,
BendFilm Festival, Newport Beach
IFF, Boston Sci-Fi FF, Dances with
Films, Brisbane International Film
Festival.
In addition, they own and operate
The Dreaming Tree, a production
company and studio located in
Los Angeles, California, USA.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

“I was lucky enough to have
witnessed the Solar Tandem’s win
at the Solar World Championships
in 1986 also known as the Tour
de Sol. In fact, I was a helper
on the team. As a 13-year-old, I
used my Super 8 film camera to
capture the event. At the time,
I didn’t realize what my father
was trying to do with the Solar
Tandem. As a boy watching the
team on their various adventures,
I felt like it was just a way to
bring public awareness to solar
energy. Over the years I have
come to understand that my
father was imagining something
entirely different: a world where
human power and solar power
could exist in harmony, in a
direct and symbiotic way. In a
very pragmatic sense, he thought
people would benefit from the
exercise and that solar energy
would reduce dependence on
fossil fuels. Today, the Solar
Tandem tends to evoke the same
reaction it did 30 plus years ago:
it is at once preposterously
impractical, but on the other
hand, it could be a plausible,
out of the box, efficient
solution for sustainability.”
– Oktay Ortabasi