Production notes

format: DVD-NTSC all regions
ratio: 4:3
sound: stereo
running time: 82 minutes
date of completion: May 2006
country of production: Canada
language: English
subtitled: English and Français
budget: less than CAN$1000

In 1998, Zaak Robichaud wrote up a list of 121 life goals. “Bike Across Canada” is goal number nine. In 1999, he determined that the best time to complete the goal would be the summer of 2003. He invited several friends and family members along and extended an open invitation to everyone he knew. During the summer of 2002, he led a church group to Guatemala to work on a school project. He connected with several of the team members - six of whom decided to join the trip the following summer.

With inexperience, comes great opportunity to learn about oneself and others. Every cyclist brought a new understanding of life away from the seven-week trek. Interviews were conducted in February, 2005. By waiting two-years to interview 8 of the cyclists, Zaak was able to extract the best memories and the long-term effect the trip had had on each life.

Organizing and fitting the recent interview footage with footage and photos from the trip was painstaking. Though it was rewarding to see how well they merged and how insightful the experiences became.

Zaak contacted some very talented friends and asked them to add sketches and soundtrack to the film. The collaboration stretched from Guatemala where Zaak was editing to Korea where Mike sketched animations to Michigan where Justin composed the original soundtrack. All three Canadians working outside their native land.

The entire film was shot using a consumer digital video camera - Canon ZR-50. It was then edited using Final Cut Pro on an Apple computer. The entire editing process took approximately 6 months, exclusively evenings and weekends.