Arts group screening film about women’s improbable bike journey
The Summerland Community Arts Council is celebrating Go By Bike Week, May 31 to June 6, with a virtual screening of “The New Woman.”
A spicy blend of adventure, social history, and the portrait of an athletic pioneer, the documentary focuses on an improbable journey by bicycle and the fiery young woman who dared to undertake it.
In 1894, Annie Kochovsky, a 23-year-old Jewish immigrant and mother of three, changed the world for women by climbing aboard a 42-pound bicycle and setting off from the tenement of Boston to circle the globe.
Annie’s journey was more than one of miles — she left in full skirts as a 19th-century housewife and returned in bloomers as a celebrated heroine of a new era.
“The New Woman” uses original animations to bring Annie’s tales to life and to add a modern twist to traditional notions of historical documentary.
You can watch anytime you like between May 31 and June 6. Electronic access costs $10 and you can gain access through summerlandarts.com.
Proceeds will go to SCAC programming. Purchasers’ names will be entered in a draw to win a copy of “Spin,” Peter Zheutlin’s historic novel about Annie’s travels.