Half the Road: The Passion, Pitfalls & Power of Women’s Professional Cycling 2014
Distributed by First Run Features, 630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213, New York, NY 10036; 212-243-0600
Produced by Kathryn Bertine
Directed by Kathryn Bertine
DVD, color, 106 min.
Jr. High - General Adult
Sports, Women’s History, Women’s Rights, Feminism
Date Entered: 10/02/2014
Reviewed by Sara Parme, Digital Services Librarian, Daniel A. Reed Library, SUNY FredoniaHalf the Road is not just a documentary made to create awareness, but actively seeks change while filming. Half the Road dives into the lives of female professional cyclists and their struggle to become recognized inside their sport and the world. The film juxtaposes women’s cycling with men’s and places women’s cycling into the context of the history of women in sports, Title IX, the science of women’s bodies, the politics of the Olympics, and even the role bicycles played in women’s suffrage.
Half the Road not only suggests reasons why cycling isn’t supported more worldwide but takes actions to remedy the loss with educational skits and concrete examples of how professional cycling can sell itself better. Interviews include the president of the Union Cycliste Internationale and 17th Surgeon General of the United States.
Director, producer and cyclist Kathryn Bertine presents a comprehensive documentary that is uplifting without sugar coating. She uses humor and props to discuss gender pay discrepancy, the low percentage of women in positions of power, and the prejudices against women in sports.
Appropriate for public libraries and academic collections and courses in sports marketing and women’s studies. Extras include Kathryn Bertine on The Five C’s of Change, Photo Gallery, and Biographies. The inside of the DVD container features a “What Can I Do” guide to help viewers support women’s professional cycling.