Bikes on Film: Faraway

I wouldn't assign a wider meaning to any of the bike scenes in this film on Netflix other than a simple transportation choice which, mind you, is no small thing. When you're on a small Croatian island without a motor, your choices are limited. One scene, though, is the exception. That one, like other similar examples in other films, revolves around change, and freedom.

Inheriting a house following the death of her mother, Zeynap Altin (Naomi Krauss), travels from Germany to Croatia to sell the property. But. Things don't quite work out. Tension builds throughout the early part of the film - marital problems, suspicions, a strained relationship with a daughter, and an unexpected guest in the inherited house. It all comes to a head with the realization that her marriage is over. A period of anger and depression ends with acceptance of the change and the freedom it brings with it and, of course, is marked with a bike ride. The transition is clear. There is a smile on her face as Zeynap pedals down a new road, a new life.

I don't usually like English voice overs, they just don't seem to work very often. This one works better than most. The actors doing the voice overs seem to be better in tune, their emotion tone reflective of the action of the moment.