Bike Vessel
In this portrait of familial love, Donnie Seals Sr. undergoes a transformation after several medical crises and, at age 70, embarks on a long-distance cycling trip with his son.
Donnie Seals Sr. enjoyed southern delicacies, drinking, and smoking until 1995, when he almost died. He underwent his first open-heart surgery before age 50 and had three quadruple bypass surgeries over subsequent years, leading to his early retirement. At the age of 70, Donnie now bicycles more than 30 miles each day. He went from taking over 20 daily medications to just one, and his heart problems have significantly improved.
His son, director Eric D. Seals, traces Donnie’s journey, recovery, and commitment to renewed health, while providing an intimate perspective into a Black working-class family in the Midwest. The documentary also follows father and son as they embark on a biking journey from St. Louis to Chicago. Eric, approaching the age at which his father underwent surgery and facing similar health conditions, experiences moments of self-reflection within this period of parent-child intimacy.
Bike Vessel serves as a meditation on kinship and connection, centered on a father who reclaims his life against all odds. It also examines health disparities among Black men, who statistically have the lowest life expectancy and highest death rate of all racial and ethnic groups. The film sheds light on issues within American medical culture, from complex and unaffordable insurance systems to racism and discrimination in healthcare.