Monday, Feb. 24, 2025 at 11:30 p.m. on KPBS TV / PBS app
A heartwarming documentary on kinship, connection, Black health, and deep familial love, “Bike Vessel,” tells the story of a 70-year-old defying health statistics and takes a hard look at the health inequities plaguing Black men, all while showcasing a touching father-and-son, 350-mile cycling adventure as they embark on a life-changing health journey together.
The film follows director Eric D. Seals as he proposes an ambitious idea to his father: bike together from St. Louis to Chicago—350 miles in 4 days. Twenty years after Eric’s father, Donnie Seals Sr., almost died and had three open-heart surgeries, he makes a miraculous health recovery after discovering his love for bicycling, bringing his son Eric along with him. Eric, approaching the age at which his father first underwent surgery and facing similar health conditions, experiences moments of self-reflection within this period of parent-child intimacy.
“We always intended to make ‘Bike Vessel’ an easily accessible film, and we know that bringing our story to INDEPENDENT LENS will allow us to reach our main goal for making this film—to educate the Black community on prevalent health issues,” said Eric D. Seals. “We hope that after watching the film, the community will have a greater sense of love for their bodies, love for their health, and hopefully, a new curiosity of exercise through cycling or whatever their ‘vessel’ may be.”
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. “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.
Watch On Your Schedule: “Bike Vessel” debuts on PBS’s INDEPENDENT LENS on Feb. 24, 2025. The film will be available to stream on the PBS app.
Credits: Directed and edited by Eric D. Seals and produced by Donnie Seals Jr. and Resita Cox.
