Ella Aafjes

6Pack

How Not to Get Your Bike Stolen

In the Netherlands, there are more bicycles than people, and in the city of Utrecht, they are everywhere. But for filmmaker Ella Aafjes, they are also constantly disappearing. Despite the evolution of the bicycle over 200 years, Ella remains stuck in a primitive cycle of loss, unable to keep a bike for more than a few months. The film explores "The Circuit"; an urban ecosystem where stolen bikes are sold and resold in a never-ending loop, turning victims into unwitting participants. Through a nostalgic and humorous look back at her "bike history," Ella documents her escalating war with Utrecht’s bike thieves.