An Old Machine, Reborn

A film by Ot Boqué featuring Stefan Lantschner | Photos by Héctor Saura

‘REDUX’ not only symbolizes the rebirth of a motorcycle, but the state of mind of a person living in difficult times.

The first time that Stefan Lantschner saw a cafe racer was on a BMX road trip in Austin, Texas ten years ago. “I have always been into motorcycles, but this one stood out to me.” Taking a lot of inspiration from his BMX riding, which has always been smooth and stylish, he found a new creative outlet to express himself. “I think that a cafe racer is very similar to a BMX bike: it’s as minimal and simple as it can be, but still allows you to show your personality in every detail.”

For Stefan, a bike has to look good but also be functional. “I see builds that look insane, but you can tell that they were just made for a showroom.” That is not his approach when it comes to building. “My bikes are built to be ridden. I don‘t waste my time just to look at them afterward. I want to ride them and pop wheelies!”

Like it has been for many others, being locked down at home wasn’t easy for director Ot Boqué. “I couldn’t be productive and I had no ambitions. It kind of felt like a personal crisis, but I was aware that I had to get out of that hole.” So he started thinking, writing, and conceptualizing this project.

As soon as the Spanish government lifted mobility restrictions, Ot and Stefan began shooting and it helped Ot get back to the place he was before the pandemic. “Seeing how Stefan worked on his old bikes, simplifying something very complex and giving it a new life, motivated me to move forward.”

An old machine, reborn to last forever.