Taiwan, 90 mins
What do you do if you are in your seventies or eighties and live in Taiwan? Sit back and enjoy your retirement watching the world go by? Nope. At least, not for this awesome group of seventeen with an average age of 81 who spent a year learning to ride scooters in the build up to a fourteen-day ride around the island.
Many of the riders had barely travelled and delighted in seeing parts of the island they had not previously anticipated seeing. By riding the scooters, they were able to maintain the independence that many are losing during the later stage of life. Of course, things are not totally smooth sailing; there are a variety of health issues with the group, from high blood pressure to cancer and coronary illness. But the determination of the group, supporting each other throughout, carries them on their way. Plus, they are absolutely adorable. With the Human Rights Arts and Film Festival promising a lot of challenging content, this is a film that will bring a smile to your face.
Go Grandriders screens at ACMI at 3pm on Saturday, May 11