Video Documentary: Love, Speed and Loss
I just received an email alerting me to this stunning documentary about the life of Kiwi Grand Prix racer Kim Newcombe. It’s a world class film and one that will leave you touched and saddened by the highs and lows of motorcycle racing. Make some time to watch it. Of all the films about motor racing, this has to be one of the very best.
Here is the official blurb. The documentary is “about motor-racer Kim Newcombe, who turned heads in the 70s on a König motorbike he developed and designed himself. He was killed racing in 1973 and posthumously came second in that year’s World 500cc Grand Prix. The film mixes interviews and underdog triumph on the track scenes, with Super 8 footage of family life on the circuit, and poignant wife-of-maverick reflections from his widow Janeen. Love, Speed and Loss won best documentary at the 2007 Qantas TV Awards and Air NZ Screen Awards for best documentary, directing, and editing.”
Thanks to Paul Densem for the tip.
Images: ozebook.com/konig.htm
Tags: 1970s, Classic Racing Motorcycles, Death and Glory, Moto Grand Prix, Riders
is this recently made, cinema release, DVD release etc. Any more info. Love to see it.
A very moving film showing what it was really like in those years. Three things stand out. The first is that Kim Newcombe is another example of the innovation, skill and drive of countless New Zealanders in motorsport. Someone should write a book about them. The second is the hard nosed attitude of officialdom in many areas, of the era. The third is the minimal safety and lack of procedures at the tracks. Great film.
[...] [via motorsports retro] [...]
I have written biographies of New Zealand motorcyclists John Britten and Burt Munro. The film about Kim Newcombe was originally my project and was entirely my vision. I took it to Visionary Television as I needed a production company to work with but soon after I secured funding for it they decided they had no need of my involvement. I sued them in the High Court alleging that they had stolen my work. The case was settled out of court and I have subsequently nearly completed the film I wanted to make in the first place.
These events are recorded in the prologue to my new book ‘Kim – The Kiwi on the Koenig’.
I considered that although the Visionary TV film generally followed my prescription it was overlaid with a negative attitude in an attempt to be fashionably Gothic. In particular the portrayal of Janeen Newcombe as an emotional basket case when she was near death and in pain was brutal, dishonest and exploitative.
My film, featuring a passionate and upbeat interview with Janeen that I secured before losing my project will be available very soon and I would welcome anyone to compare it with Love Speed and Loss.
Tim, I look forward to seeing your film, but the claims you make against the company that produced Love Speed and Loss are false and defamatory and need to be withdrawn from this site.
Love Speed & Loss was not entirely your vision. Your ideas were welcome, but we didn’t use all of them and the resulting film was a development borne out of a combination your input along with a very capable team consisting of a researcher, director and producer. That includes my role as producer and as an avid past subscriber to Motorcycle Racing, the bible of all things racing throughout the 70′ and early 80′s.
Your claim that you secured funding for the documentary and then had it ‘stolen’ is false. Production finance was secured by a producer who pitched the idea to a TV network, cast a budget, negotiated a licence fee and went on to make an application to the public funding agency that chooses projects carefully with the capability of the producer number one on their funding benchmark. You had no involvement or influence in this process.
We did not decide that we suddenly did not need you. It was Janeen who requested a strategy whereby you were to focus on the book and Visionary were to manage the film production. She was extremely stressed by what she saw as tardiness on your part in simply writing the book. You agreed to this arrangement and signed an agreement that was simple,clear and upfront about the split in responsibilities.
You say the film is ‘fashionably gothic’. What exactly does that mean?. In my view, which is shared worldwide by many viewers, journalists and racing experts and enthusiasts, the documentary tells the truth. Triumph and Tragedy are equitable commodities in the editorial which matches the reality of the conflicting emotions that are drawn out by the Newcombe’s story
Most hurtful and malevolent in your post is that the film-makers exploited Janeen while she was dying and in a fragile state. I find that frankly disgusting and sick at heart. Your procrastination and tardiness made such a negative impact on Janeen that throught ’03 and ’04 she reguarly would ask me if we could find another writer for the book.
If you had attended the screening party at her son Mark’s house in July 2005 you would have witnessed a proud Janeen introducing the film to her family and closest friends. Her exact lines at the end of her opening speech were’..and this beautiful film wraps a big red ribbon around my heart’ You can check that with any of the 200 people who there that night. Magic. We even had to all wear seventies outfits which nicely complimented the images onscreen..and thats the only ‘fashion’ statement the film makes.
Finally, the interview you are using as the heart of your documentary was paid for by me personally. You arrived at the location without having prepared any questionline at all. The questions that you put to Janeen had to be written down by me and passed to you. If I hadn’t done that work on the spot you would have not only have wasted my time and money, but more importantly Janeen’s precious time.
My apologies to the ladies and gentlemen of the Motorsport Retro for airing this information on your forum as I have no wish to publically air these issues as it only serves to denigrate and distract from the wonderful memories I have of Janeen, and of course Kim Newcombe.
Richard Driver
Tim & Richard I can really think of better places for this to happen. That said Tim I have read your books about John Britten & Burt Munro and really enjoyed them. I will certainly be purchasing the book about Kim.
Richard the film was great viewing ( I have watched it a few times), I certainly felt sorry for Janeen. Kim’s efforts against the factory MV bikes of the time was truly impressive and it was certainly a shame he lost his life in a potentially avoidable accident (if the marshals had listened to his request).
If you want a good read, Tims books are great and Richards Doco is also excellent. Both of you cheer-up.
Robb
What a great watch. Those were freewheelin’ days, as it has been said before: ‘ when motorcycles were dangerous and sex was safe’ Kim Newcombe’s story is one of those great ‘what if..’stories. He acheived so much in a relatively brief time but..could he have developed the Konig for another season and beyond?. Would he have perhaps gone on to be a works rider with a Japanese factory ..he had demonstrated the ability to do so…and what if BMW went down the 2-stroke route with Konig.I remember reading news snippets around 1969 and 1970 of Dieter Konig saying he was developing a race bike because they had so much success with boat racing he was seeking a new challenge.
Yes indeed here’s one for the trainspotters,a German State TV story showing Kim Newcombe demonstrating an early ‘naked’ sans fairing version of the bike by idling it around in a car park, while in the foreground a reporter interviewed Dieter Konig:
Note the film reel was dated 1968 which seems to be at least a year ahead actual events?. This was just a few days prior to its debut at the Berlin Avus ‘raceway’-actually two autobahn carriageways with a hairpin at each end.
Here is a rough translation of the story:
‘Berliner Abendschau’, 02.09.1968:
“Thanks Mr. Newcombe.
These are recordings of a test drive for a new racing bike. Builder of this prototype is Dieter Koenig, both known as a builder for boat engines and as a successful motorboat racer.
Mr.Koenig, what induced you to leave the wet element?”
“It’s like this, since three years we are winning the world and european championship of the motorboat section with this engine. So we are a bit bored in the race boat section.”
“Are there any interests in this prototype?”
“Oh yes, there are many licenced racing drivers, who would be interested in such a motor. Provided that it’s got enough power and it’s reliable. We will find this out on Sunday during the AVUS, when this motor takes part in a race for the first time.”
“Maybe something more about the machine, a few technical characteristics, Mr.Koenig.”
“Our Motor has got 500 cubic cm and is a 4 cylinder boxer two stroke engine. We’ve got a rotary slide inlet and two downdraft carburetors mounted. And also we are reaching approximately 70 HP per 9500 rotation. We have built the engine very low with a horizontal lying crank so that the focus lays low and the road holding becomes better. Two cylinder bounding forward and two backwards to the gearbox. We are using two double downdraft carburetors to reach the efficiency we need, like on the water.
The other day we reached 225 km/h during a test driving. This sounds fast, but if it’s fast enough to win on the AVUS we will see later.”
“But isn it risky for a relatively small company to produce such machines? What about the service later with the maintenance of the bikes?”
“We’ve got the parts for the engine anyway, and we don’t intend to produce the gearbox, the breaks and the frame by ourselves. The engine only we produce for boat purposes. Therefore there was no need in big developmental works.”
[...] LOVE, SPEED AND LOSS Def check out this great documentary on legendary motor-racer Kim Newcombe, who turned heads in the 70s on a König motorbike he developed and designed himself. He was killed racing in 1973 and posthumously came second in that year’s World 500cc Grand Prix. The film mixes interviews and underdog triumph on the track scenes, with Super 8 footage of family life on the circuit, and poignant wife-of-maverick reflections from his widow Janeen. [...]
Everything that Driver has written above with regard to his conduct is a self serving violation of the truth.
My comments on his conduct made here and in the forward to my book ‘Kim – The Kiwi On The Konig’ stand and if he wishes to take issue with anything I wrote then he should seek redress from the courts. If he does not have the confidence to do so then people should draw their own conclusions. I am certainly not removing anything I have said about him from this place or anywhere else.