BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

Hey everyone,

I wanted to bring this really rad project that I'm involved with your attention.

"Sust Enable: The Metamentary" is an innovative independent documentary based in Pittsburgh, PA that explores the question "what does sustainability mean?" What makes this film special is our attempt to address this question on ALL levels of the film's creation--not just the story, but also the film's style and real world filmmaking processes will seek to embody sustainability!

We are seeking people from around Pittsburgh with interesting definitions of sustainability, especially folks who can relate bicycling to sustainable living in their own words. Please get in touch with me if you know someone who would be good for this!

"Sust Enable"'s story explores how everyday, even mundane experiences can represent qualities of sustainability. Interviewees provide fascinating commentary about what it means for something to be sustainable, while the story symbolically illustrates how the life events of one Pittsburgh community activist, Caroline Savery (that's me!) can subtly reflect these same qualities. The film probes--is there a nature of sustainability that pervades our lived experiences? What does sustainability look like in practice? Will we ever be able to define sustainability? Or does the nature of sustainability define us?

Many of you already know me... for those who don't, hello! I'm Caroline, the European-descendent brunette young woman on the really scratched up, dirty white 80s Motobecane. I have been volunteering with Free Ride since 2006. I have earned four bicycles through their Earn-a-Bike project over time. I became involved as a collective member and co-organizer in 2008 (same year I became a Bike Pittsburgh member, too). I felt really inspired by the inclusive and collaborative organizing style of Free Ride, and a year after becoming involved, I started training to be a bicycle mechanics class instructor. Now, my main occupation is as a part-time instructor with Free Ride, teaching both adult and youth classes, plus continuing to volunteer.

The film will explore how my maturing relationship to community organizing, bicycling as a means of transportation, and with the overall bicycling community of Pittsburgh reflects themes of sustainability. Once production begins, we plan to depict Bike Pittsburgh and Free Ride events and activities. If you share the belief that bicycling for fitness, transportation, resource conservation, and community can be part of a sustainable and holistically enriching lifestyle, please consider getting involved with our film!

How you can get involved:

- We need to raise $5,000 before July 26th to be able to launch production! Please chip in--even $5 really helps!--and redeem cool perks from the film through our IndieGogo campaign! And of course, please share with your friends.



- You can join our mailing list by emailing sust.enable@gmail.com. You can also like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter--just search "sust enable".

- Since December, we have been holding monthly "Community Feedback Sessions", which are open discussions about sustainability and the developing vision for "Sust Enable" between the crew and the community of Pittsburgh. We are planning to combine these engaging discussions with one-hour workshops on "sustainable living" topics, from consensus organizing to bicycle maintenance to mushroom growing! These events are always FREE and you are invited to attend! We are going to have these every 2nd and 4th Thursdays at 7:00pm starting in month of July. Join our mailing list for more details as they become available...

Thanks for reading, and hope to hear from you!

See you on the streets,

Caroline