In Fuego, a brief seven-minute film named after a Guatemalan volcano, mountain biker Kilian Bron flies along mud tracks, down snowy slopes, and through claustrophobic alleyways.
Accompanied by a spartan electronic soundtrack, the production is slick to the point of feeling Hollywood. It wouldn’t feel out of place as a training montage in the middle of a feel-good summer blockbuster, smashing from one beautiful shot to the next on a whistlestop tour of Guatemala, Bolivia, and Peru.
But this isn’t green-screen – and somewhere under the layers of perfect polish, there are some extremely tough-looking runs, with grit-covered mountain gulleys, competition-worthy street courses, and a dicey ride over the support structure of a bridge.
There are some nice little touches thrown in too, Bron speeds past two Cholita women from the Aymaras indigenous community, famed for summiting Latin American peaks in their traditional dress. Later, we glimpse young Peruvian girls playing football somewhere in the Andes.
Maximum minimalism
In some ways, Fuego is minimalist: there’s no narration, no interviews, and absolutely no fluff. But it’s also triumphantly big: huge vistas, jaw-dropping runs down the sides of Guatemalan volcanoes, running ridges flanked by snow-capped Peruvian peaks, and cruising down enormous dunes.
It’s an enjoyable watch, particularly if you’re looking for some inspiration to get out and do something exciting. Just remember, it’s not as effortless as Bron makes things look.
