Filmmaker: Eric Ristau
Film: The Best Bar In America
1st Annual MFF 2013: Winner Feature Narrative & Best Of Festival
Q: What was the name of your film in the 1st annual, 2013 MFF?
A: The Best Bar in America
Q: What’s it about?
A: About a guy– a writer– on a cross-country ride on a 1960 BMW R60/2 with a Velorex sidecar. He’s been hired to write a guidebook of every bar in the West. After he splits with his lady friend on the side of the highway, he runs around like a drunken maniac trying to find his soul. A couple of wise, old badasses help him out along the way. Oh, and he does some nasty on a pool table.
Q: What inspired you to make this movie?
A: My brother (and co-writer/co-director) and I have always liked bikes, bars, travel, the desert, Wild Turkey, and sleeping on the ground. We decided to write a script about as many of the things that we love as possible and jam them into one movie. That way, if the film completely failed, we would have had a great time making it. We succeeded.
Q: How did you find the MFF?
A: We were looking for film festivals that weren’t pretentious bullshit. The name sold us too.
Q: Have you made any other films, and If so, is there a common theme throughout your films?
A: Most of the other projects we’ve done have related to travel, searching out what matters in life, and the way that certain machines can affect a culture. It’s been a mish-mash of work for clients and films for our own enjoyment, but those are some of the common threads that come to mind.
Q: Do you ride a motorcycle, and If so, tell us a little about what you ride, and why?
A: I ride a 1974 BMW R75/6 with a 1973 Spirit of America sidecar (the hack comes off easily, however). Riding a motorcycle is the most fun you can have with your clothes on. To me, it falls smack in between Zen meditation and flying an airplane at low altitude. The idea that that you can jump on this elegant machine and head out on the road with no other thoughts but which direction to go is pretty damn sweet.
Q: As a filmmaker, what about the MFF and motorcycle films in general speaks to you?
A: Having attended some of the biggest mainstream film festivals, the concept of a motorcycle-oriented film festival really appeals to me. First and foremost, I love motorcyclists more than most any other group of people. Secondly, unlike a mainstream film festival, no one comes to the MFF with thoughts of seeing celebrities, getting discovered, or making a million-dollar deal – and therefore, people don’t act like assholes. They watch good flicks and bullshit with people they actually have something in common with.
To me, motorcycle films inherently speak of adventure, stepping outside the norm, and maybe taking a different perspective on life – all things that relate to actually riding a motorcycle as well. In my experience, motorcyclists have characteristics that most people equate to long-held, traditional American ideals– independence, individualism, self-reliance, bravery in the face of danger, and an adventurous spirit. While these characteristics may be less and less common in the wider modern world, they remain extremely common (perhaps even necessary) traits in a motorcyclist. Films about these people, and their ways of life is about the best topic for a movie that I can imagine.
Q: Have you had a chance to attend the MFF yet?
A: I missed out on the last one, so my positive remarks about the MFF above may be complete bullshit. But I don’t think so.
Q: Possibly impossible question: Favorite bike movie?
A: My favorite bike movie is an Italian film that will be released to the general public this spring. It’s called 1 Map for 2. You guys should screen it at the MFF next year.
Q: What’s next for you as a filmmaker?
A: We have a couple of documentaries in the works. One is about people who take their dog in the motorcycle sidecar. The other is secret. Long term, I’d like to do another narrative feature.
For more information on Sit Stay Ride: The Story of America’s Sidecar Dogs, check out and support the Kickstarter campaign by clicking the image below.
