Watch: ‘First Cats’ doc explores Toronto’s underground bike racing
Short film follows the rise of unsanctioned bike races organized by bike messengers also known as alley cat racing
‘First Cats’ is a new documentary by Canadian filmmaker Greg Pistol. It explores the world of Toronto’s alley cat street racers. They are underground and unsanctioned bike races organized by bike messengers that take place all over the world.
The individuals interviewed for the film recall their first-hand experiences of alley cat races. The film tells the story of their beginnings in the 1980s to the first Cycle Messenger World Championship in 1993 through to the rise of these types of races all over the world.
“Offering an authentic view of the community as seen by those who shaped it, First Cats brings the intensity of high-speed racing in city streets to the viewers while shedding a light on the origins of this niche extreme sport,” says Pistol.
The short film runs for just over 20 minutes.
