The Tragic Ones

The Tragic Ones is intended as an unconventional documentary film that depicts a group of young people, who share values that originated from the fixed-gear bikes culture. The story concentrates on two members of the collective called Tragedia (The Tragedy) - Wojtas and Kris. Their relationship revolves around the bicycle, which had become a symbol of their extraordinary friendship and inspired us to show it as the universal element with power to unite people.

The plot of the film is set in Wroclaw and Szczecin, two Polish cities engaged in the organization of the upcoming European Cycle Messenger Championships. The action takes place over the time period of the preparations for the event and the competition itself, during which the protagonists act both as organizers and contestants.

The storyline allows the viewers to follow the intentionally simplified narrative, which is supposed to convey certain ideas and concepts. Among the latter are modern subculture identity, sense of belonging, sincerity and non-conformism. Moreover, we want to uncover individual traits of the protagonists, expose their variety, analyse the context of different backgrounds, but at the same time explore their shared passion, culture and worldview. The Tragic Ones claim to live in peace with other cyclists, they’re extremely friendly and tolerant.

In addition we intent to investigate the relationship that grows between the cyclists and their local environment. We want to explore the differences between the two cities and show them as living organisms, integral with their residents. Finally, the urban spirit harmonizes with the protagonists’ sense of freedom, shared and cherished by members of the collective.