A US documentary maker and motorcycle enthusiast will arrive in Taiwan next week to explore the story behind a Taiwanese bank commercial that he said moved him to tears.
Peter Starr, who has made more than 40 films about motorcycle racing in 35 years, will arrive on Monday to make a documentary about a group of motorcyclists in their 80s.
Starr said he first learned about the elderly riders through a TV advertisement that became a YouTube sensation in February, attracting more than 750,000 hits.
The ad was based on the true story of 17 men, with an average age of 81 and several suffering from illnesses, who decided to embark on a motorcycle journey around the nation to fulfill a dream.
Two of them were cancer survivors, eight had heart diseases and four of them wore hearing aids.
Despite their illnesses and opposition from their families, the men embarked on a 1,139km ride that took 13 days.
After watching the video on the Internet, Starr said he wanted to visit the men to learn how the trip may have changed them. Their spirit of “You’re never too old to ride” is what he most wants to introduce to the US public, said Starr, who makes a long-distance motorcycle trip every year.
One of the men will accompany Starr around Taiwan to show him places that are suitable for biking. Staff also plans to meet Harley--Davidson and Kymco club members to learn more about biking in this country.
One of Starr’s films, Take It To The Limit, was the Gold Award winner at the 1980 Chicago International Film Festival and the Silver Award winner at the Houston International Film Festival.
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