Last Update: 31 May 2023
In “A Motorcycle Saved My Life,” director lori lozinski embarks on a transformative journey along the open road which presents a point of departure for director lori lozinski to process deep-seated grief. As she rides through British Columbia and into Northern Alberta’s vast, open spaces, revisiting the formative experiences that drove her ambition, lozinski examines the influence of her parents in the present light of day.
A Motorcycle Saved My Life Awards and Festivals
- Official Selection – Insights Series Vancouver International Film Festival, Canada (2022)
- Official Selection – Shorts Program Calgary International Film Festival, Canada (2022)
- Official Selection Edmonton International Film Festival, Canada (2022)
- Official Selection Victoria Film Festival, Canada (2023)
“The title of the film is clearly an oxymoron. How can engaging in such perceived and unforgiving risky behaviour be lifesaving?” states lozinski. “Grief was a feeling I aggressively avoided most of my life, and when I could no longer run from the immediacy of my parents’ deaths, I was desperate to find a way to exist with such profound pain.”
This film’s narrative intent is to situate the audience on the motorcycle with me. To see, hear and feel what I feel when I’m on the road, riding from my current home in Vancouver, BC, back to the land I cherished as a child, and where some of my family still reside, in Northern Alberta. The motive behind not seeing anyone speaking is to nourish the sense that this could all be in the present, or a memory, or maybe a dream, or maybe it embraces all concepts of time. Often, the flow of riding a motorcycle is like that—an exquisite loose reality.
It’s that state of mind, and the experiences I’ve had while riding, that empowered me in learning how to live with grief. And how to preserve a connection to my parents. And ultimately, how to love myself.
lori lozinski is an award-winning Vancouver-based filmmaker. She is recognised for producing socially conscious, character-driven stories with female creatives. Her recent film, A Motorcycle Saved My Life is now available on nfb.ca ,
About the NFB
The NFB is Canada’s public producer and distributor of award-winning documentaries, auteur animation, interactive stories, and participatory experiences, working with talented creators across the country. The NFB is taking action to combat systemic racism and become a more open and diverse organization, while working to strengthen Indigenous-led production and gender equity in film and digital media. NFB productions have won more than 7,000 awards, including 12 Oscars. To access this unique content, visit NFB.ca.
