Phil Liggett: The Voice of Cycling

A contemplative and heart-warming portrait of Phil Liggett, the man responsible for shaping the world’s view of cycling for half a century.

Stick around after our screening on Sunday 28 February for an In-Conversation with filmmakers Nickolas Bird and Eleanor Sharpe.

Both global cycling enthusiasts and casual Tour de France observers alike know this truth: if Phil Liggett isn’t calling the race, it’s not worth tuning in. For 47 years, the former amateur racer turned professional commentator has been delighting audiences with his poetic and whimsical musings on the world’s most prestigious bicycle race.

After a lifetime in the commentary box, Phil is ready to reflect on the triumphs and scandals of the sport, his memories of friend and broadcast partner Paul Sherwen, and his pivot to wildlife conservation in South Africa.

Filmmakers Nickolas Bird and Eleanor Sharpe (Mamil) trace Liggett's humble beginnings in the suburbs of Liverpool through to his steady ascent to assume the mantle of the "voice of cycling". Passionate about animals from an early age, Liggett instead turned to journalism and amateur cycling to support himself, vocations that have in turn gifted him an influential platform for his conservation efforts. Speaking candidly from his home in Kruger National Park, where he and wife Trish base their efforts to save endangered rhinos from poachers, Phil wonders when the right time will be to walk away from professional cycling.

Phil Liggett: The Voice of Cycling is a captivating ride through Phil's life, featuring astonishing archival footage of cheering Tour de France crowds lining hair-raising turns through the Pyrenees and the Alps, as well as interviews with global and local cycling greats. Screening at ACMI ahead of its nationwide theatrical launch, this portrait is a charming testament to the legacy of an icon.

– Treise Armstrong, Film Programs Coordinator

Learn more

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WATCH: Phil Liggett on his new documentary "The Voice of Cycling"
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