Bicycles and Thieves

Bicycles and Thieves started when my own bike was stolen.
After my bike was stolen, I remember laying in bed, feeling silly about how much it was bothering me. There was a sense of loss and frustration: It was locked. In the inner courtyard. Together with 30 other bikes, but they only took mine. And there was also a sense of irrelevance: bikes are stolen all the time, and no one cares that much about yours. It also felt weird walking around, feeling like I was seeing my bike everywhere. Some time later, I thought I wanted to explore those feelings through a movie.

The movie is set in Berlin’s Friedrichshain neighborhood. It follows the everyday life of a food delivery worker and her search for her stolen bike. I wanted to capture the diversity of the area, where streets feel somehow part of different cities, but maintain a distinct sense of place. I wanted to show my version of the city, neither false nor idealized.

Bicycles and Thieves is my first short movie.
Although movies have always been a very important part of my life, I didn’t study cinema or filmmaking. The cast and crew are also largely non-professionals. I approached casting and putting the crew together as a similar process. Searching for qualities in friends and acquaintances that would be a good fit. It was very rewarding to see them thrive in the roles I planned for them and contribute to make the movie more complete. I'm proud of what we achieved together. Tamara is a professional still photographer from my hometown in Mexico, working as a Director of Photography for the first time. The lead, Eylül, was my colleague some years ago. We worked together for a few weeks only, but we had a similar sensibility and remained close friends. She lives in the same neighborhood where the short movie takes place. The person at the counter of the Späti (convenience store) knew her by name already.

Abbas Kiarostami, Kelly Reichardt, and Hong Sangsoo were big inspirations of the filmmaking style I was aiming for. Something natural and genuine in appearance and, at the same time, full of very intentional decisions. I wanted to tell a story that moved forward, while still allowing space for texture and mood. The movie is colorful, but not cheerful. There’s no music, the sound of the city fills the space. And there’s time for gentle, humorous moments and small humane gestures. I want the audience to be part of that wholesome mood.

Sincerely,
Ricardo