800 Kilometers Across France and Germany on Bike in the Winter

On February 14, 2019 we completed our journey biking across France and Germany in an effort to retrace the steps of Silvio J Pedri. After we returned, it was a whirlwind of processing. Processing the emotions of the journey, processing the footage so that the editing could begin, and processing how all of the new information would fit into the original story that we set out to tell. 

We've recently completed the film and are looking forward to sharing it with you in 2022. Please visit our screening section for the most up-to-date information on how to see the film.

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Today we did the full gear check at @thebikeandtrike for our journey across France and Germany. Carrie’s bike weighed in at 60 pounds and Mark’s at 71 without water. Thanks to @trekbikes @ridebontrager, we’re ready for whatever the road brings.

A post shared by Wyoming WWII Film (@wyoming.wwii.film) on Dec 22, 2018 at 4:11pm PST

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France has been an incredible host. There is so much history and so many incredible stories. We’ll be back.

A post shared by Wyoming WWII Film (@wyoming.wwii.film) on Jan 13, 2019 at 3:30am PST

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When you strip life down to the basics, the simplest things become the best. Today that thing was a small fire in a shack on the side of the road.

A post shared by Wyoming WWII Film (@wyoming.wwii.film) on Jan 27, 2019 at 11:56pm PST

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We made it. This is us building the bikes on a random side street in Frankfurt. We met a friend who told us how bad the weather is going to be, and then he took this photo. Tomorrow, we’ll meet Mathieu Gitzhofer and @joedemadio_ww2 in Metz to begin retracing Sgt Silvio Pedri’s journey.

A post shared by Wyoming WWII Film (@wyoming.wwii.film) on Jan 2, 2019 at 12:25pm PST

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We crossed into Germany on a path in the forest. The snow found us there and hasn’t left since.

A post shared by Wyoming WWII Film (@wyoming.wwii.film) on Jan 11, 2019 at 4:13am PST

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Stalag XB at Sandbostel is the place that has caused us to spend many sleepless nights researching and trying to understand what Sgt Pedri experienced here. It’s a place that he must have spent many sleepless nights trying to forget. After five weeks on the road, we finally reached Stalag XB. Many of the barracks have been preserved and are open to the public. Many others are in a state of controlled decay, closed to the public. Here are photos of both.

A post shared by Wyoming WWII Film (@wyoming.wwii.film) on Feb 5, 2019 at 1:46pm PST

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A foxhole is a simple thing. These divots in the ground are subtle and nonthreatening, quite the opposite of the reason for which they exist, war. It’s hard to imagine that this small indentation in the earth is what saved my grandfather’s life in this forest 74 years ago. It’s even harder to imagine that this hole was also used to take the life of another. War is hard to understand. On the front line it’s reduced to its most basic components, survival and living. Survival is simple. There are only two results. Living, however, after survival is much more complicated. . . . Special thanks to @joedemadio_ww2 @footstepsresearchers @ironmenofmetz for helping us find these foxholes where Sgt Pedri and Company B dug in after the Uckage bridgehead crossing in November of 1944.

A post shared by Wyoming WWII Film (@wyoming.wwii.film) on Jan 14, 2019 at 4:41am PST

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Everyday is a constant battle of trying to bike enough miles before the sun goes down, getting the shots we need for the film, and staying warm. We’re learning that most days we only get to pick two out of the three. Today we chose to cover a large distance and still film as much as possible. As a result, Mark got frostbite on his thumbs. Tonight we made the decision to slow down and focus on staying warm so we can continue to get the footage we need.

A post shared by Wyoming WWII Film (@wyoming.wwii.film) on Jan 22, 2019 at 12:30pm PST

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After 5 weeks on the road, we completed our journey of retracing Sgt Pedri’s route through Europe during WWII. This is a photo of us and our photographer, Conrad Smith, in front of the gate at the location of the former POW camp, Marlag XC. This was the final camp where Sgt Pedri was liberated on April 28, 1945. It’s been an incredible journey full of ups and downs. We found answers to all of the questions that we set out with, but we have also realized that there are many more questions to ask. There will always be more questions than answers.

A post shared by Wyoming WWII Film (@wyoming.wwii.film) on Feb 9, 2019 at 3:09am PST