The Engine Inside is a new documentary that sheds light on the overlooked potential of the bicycle.

December 2023 update: The Engine Inside is now streaming for free for the next month at RedBull.tv. It will then be available for rent.

Coming Summer 2023, the new documentary feature film The Engine Inside tells the stories of six everyday people from all over the globe, who reveal the unique power of the bicycle to change lives and build a better world. Through each character’s story, the film uncovers the often-overlooked potential of this 200-year-old machine, exploring its impact on a wide-range of global issues such as physical and mental health, socio-economic inequality and climate change.

By shining a light on people who have embraced cycling as a way to overcome daunting personal and systemic challenges, The Engine Inside ultimately asks viewers to reconsider their own perspective. Is there a transformative power within us all that can be unlocked through the simple act of riding a bike?

“Never before have we experienced as many converging problems: the climate crisis, social and economic inequality, cultural trauma, and transportation issues,” says Director Darcy Wittenburg. “The Engine Inside is about unlocking the bicycle as a simple solution. The timing and the message of this film have never been as poignant or urgent as now.”

Above: Janice Tower photo. Top: Danny MacAskill photographed by Jo Osborne.

“We all share this amazing piece of machinery; we all have a common language,” says endurance athlete Janice Tower who’s featured in the film. “It doesn’t matter what language we speak; we all speak bike.”

The Engine Inside is written by Mitchell Scott of Mountain Culture Group and produced by Vancouver, BC-based Anthill Films. It’s narrated by the voice of cycling, Phil Liggett and features Jay Bearhead, Nourah Salah, RRDBlocks, Janice Tower, Megan Hottman and Kwabena Danso, with Danny MacAskill and Robert Gesink.

Athlete Megan Hottman photographed by Natalie Starr.

Anthill Films is a collaborative team of visual storytellers who push physical and technical boundaries to create films that inspire a way of life. In the past two decades, Anthill has produced 12 feature films, three television series and hundreds of shorts, all focused on the power, beauty and athleticism of the bike.