An American Comeback Story Set in Wisconsin

May 7, 2015 PBS Wisconsin Leave a Comment

This week on Director’s Cut, I sit down with Matt Sienkiewicz, producer and co-director of The Ragged Edge: An American Comeback Story. The Ragged Edge is a documentary set in the world of motorcycle racing. It tells the story of Erik Buell, founder of EBR (Erik Buell Racing) and the struggles he has faced as an engineer and businessman. This is a very well done and interesting film, even to those of you who may not know anything about motorcycle racing.

Matt Sienkiewicz and co-director Joseph Sousa discovered Buell’s story while Matt was a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This is a bit of a departure for Sienkiewicz, a professor at Boston College who gives talks on making films about the Middle East and writes op-eds for countless periodicals. As worldly as he is, this didn’t stop Matt from recognizing a great story right here in Wisconsin.

Buell’s story is inspiring to anyone with a dream, especially a small business owner who has struggled to find funding or failed at some point. Buell’s first company was acquired by Harley Davidson, which seemed like a victory until Harley eventually shut them down, forcing Buell to start over with EBR. Buell is committed to his industry and providing jobs to the people of East Troy.

The Ragged Edge: An American Comeback Story is deftly told, well-paced and doesn’t disappoint on any level. Check it out this Friday night at 9:35 p.m. on Wisconsin Public Television.

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