
Sejal Deshpande, Co-director of The Green Pedal Documentary
Shocking facts, experts in the field and, of course, a well wisher’s point of view… what more could you ask for in a documentary?
Two MA Television and Interactive Content students, Sejal Deshpande and Ruksana Bi, directed a detailed documentary concerning the benefits of cycling in Birmingham’s city centre.
Working with Friends of the Earth and Push Bikes, the documentary displays the devastating emission figures in the city, claiming “the West Midlands are responsible for 43.1 million tonnes of CO2 per annum”.
Both students at Birmingham City University, the pair continued to dig deep into the benefits of cycling around the city. Sejal commented on their initial shock at seeing the carbon figures in the Midlands region:
“We were scandalised by the statistics we came across as far as the West Midlands area was concerned, as the pollution levels were so high.
“After attending a meeting with the Birmingham Friends of the Earth, we found out that the government weren’t really doing anything to combat transport in the area.
“They [Birmingham Friends of Earth] told us they were doing a 20 mile an hour campaign and intern promoting cycling, so I decided to do our documentary on cycling as it would have a lot of potential, especially in a big car city like Birmingham.”
Sejal went on to explain the lack of cycling promotion in the city. Although there seem to be bike lanes in some areas, they appear inconsistent and sometimes dangerous to users.
A Push Bike member, Brian Watkiss, commented on the video explaining the benefits cycling can entail:
“I used to be a commuting cyclist, it was my favourite was of getting to work, and now it’s just cycling for pleasure.
“I think cycling is being taken more seriously as a means of transport, with roads being so crowded, the cost of fuel increasing all the time and more people being more environmentally aware. And let’s face it, it’s more environmentally friendly than burning fossil fuels.”
The Green Pedal documentary raises some interesting points, from the lack of cycle lanes throughout the city to the personal benefits of daily exercise. When asked if the documentary had made Sejal think twice about getting in a car, she commented:
“I would love to cycle, its just that we are so used to going out the house, stepping in the car, going to our destination, getting out and being driven by or driving to our destinations that we miss the pleasures of cycling.
“It does have some disadvantages as you can’t travel with your group of friends, but it still has a lot of potential. We should consider cycling as it is not only eco-friendly, not only healthier, but also an economical way of getting places and quicker than walking.
“I used to cycle when I was back in my home country, but I don’t have a bike here, although if I did of course I would cycle.”
The Green Pedal documentary is definitely not a one sided argument with some of the Push Bikes volunteers point out the difficulty in taking the first step of commitment. Designed to visually engage viewers with the transportation in Birmingham City Centre, it has certainly made me think twice about getting in my car.
However, actually buying a bike may be another step.
To listen to the full podcast of my interview with Sejal Deshpande, keep an eye out for the weekly podcasts on the Birmingham Recycled website.