Most of us have used bicycles for transportation, perhaps to go to school or work or visit friends. Some have taken long-distance treks. But it is safe to say that few people–while biking–have picked out a wardrobe, fried an egg for breakfast, scoured the pan, completed a crossword puzzle, and used a laptop.

Montreal filmmaker Guillaume Blanchet captured himself doing all these things…and much more…in his prize-winning short “The Man Who Lived on His Bike.”  The video, shot with a GoPro (Hero2) is astonishing. If you’d like a peek at how the movie was made, there is a behind-the-scenes short at https://vimeo.com/38060089

The movie provides a myriad of lessons. But one that might be overlooked is the power of props.

Determining this film’s genre poses a big challenge. Is it a travelogue? an art film? a comedy? a romance? a moving selfie? In the end, Guillaume’s work defies categorization. Enough to say that it is highly entertaining, and if it makes you want to climb aboard your own bike, the filmmaker might applaud.

Speaking about the filmmaker, here’s a brief interview we did with him online:

MMM: Sometimes it’s obvious where an idea comes. But in this case…?

Guillaume: The idea came from a phone call I had with my dad a few years ago. He was calling me from Hungary as he was riding his bike from the French Riviera to Istanbul (with a big detour, obviously). I remember telling him : dad, you really live on your bike.

MMM: You’re obviously a serious biker yourself.

Guillaume: I’m originally from France, but have lived in Montreal for 11 years. I bike through the four seasons, which is intense because there is about an 80 degree (celsius) difference between summer and winter. At one point, as I was getting more and more passionate about filmmaking, I thought I had to do something about this “way of travel.” Hence the film.

MMM: How did you get into filmmaking?

Guillaume: I studied in business (the tie, the numbers and the desk, you know) and made a jump in advertising as a copywriter when I was 25. I spent 2 years in Paris, then moved to Montreal in 2003, where I worked in agencies for 10 years. In 2011, I decided to go freelance – mostly because I needed time to shoot my bike film. So no art school at all, but advertising is a gathering of so many talents (directors, actors, musicians,…) that it was a good place to learn.

MMM: Are there any moviemakers who have inspired you?

Guillaume: I love film makers who can do a lot with a little. I guess Michel Gondry would be the best example. Spike Jonze too.

MMM: Any advice for other moviemakers?

Guillaume: I am a self-taught director and I wouldn’t have many advices but one : do it. Don’t wait till you get the one million dollar that would make your film come true… My films are not perfect, yet, they exist.

You can learn more about this inventive filmmaker at https://vimeo.com/gblanchet