For Boundless Journeys: The Ties That Bind

British saddle and bicycle accessory makers Brooks England have collaborated with NOWNESS to create an exhilarating, three-part series profiling the different ways cycling can elevate our daily lives.

From mini adventures to grand endeavors, each episode recontextualizes our centuries-long relationship with bikes; they can be seen as a passport to freedom, the line that connects a city’s dots, and a treasured aid on journeys of self-discovery.

Danish writer and director Sandra Winther shares her vision of ‘boundless journeys’ in a narrative short that blends nature with emotion. Staggered across Denmark and Sweden, The Ties That Bind chronicles the story of a father who must find a way to reunite with his family before the countries’ borders close.

“The film explores what it means to hold on to what you love,” says Winther. “While the distance between the film’s characters is ever-increasing, there’s a love and bond between them that never goes away. Acknowledging what the other needs to feel whole is how they’ll be able to find each other again. This is what the protagonist, William, sets out to do.”

The Ties That Bind is a paean to cycling and creates the perfect context for a new world of exploration emerging just outside our doors. Adept at creating emotional harmony throughout her visual projects, Winther’s film expertly distills the unparalleled freedom-giving feeling of cycling and anticipates the many journeys into the wild that await us.

A special artistic and cycling event, this one wanted by NOWNESS and Brooks England. The videos, in fact, are released to celebrate the centenary of the historic B17, a true excellence of the British brand: a timeless detail, today more than ever able to inspire.