Indy Saini’s WOMEN IN THE FRONT SEAT chronicles powerful personal journeys by women on their motorcycles

When something is billed as “an empowering story about women,” many times there’s the assumption that the plot will emphasize sexist struggles followed by major victories of “sticking it to the man.” The story appears only worth it if the woman truly suffers but gets revenge or justice in the end, all while some girl power anthem plays in the background.

On the premise alone, it’s expected that Women In The Front Seat would glide along the familiar female empowerment road. At first, it seems like the documentary on women motorcycle riders will focus heavily on the stereotypes that continue to surround a pastime still deemed dangerous and male-dominated.

Indy Saini, in her directorial debut, chronicles in between interviews the obstacles plaguing her own coast-to-coast trip, from bad weather to exhaustion and loneliness. Along the way, other women share quick tales of disapproving moms who say riding is for boys, of mechanics asking, “Where’s your husband?” and of ignorant men yelling out, “Dykes on bikes!” There are also accounts of near-death experiences, disabilities, and divorces that propelled these women to motorcycling. Each of these stories could have easily been drawn out to hammer how unfair this subculture is to women. But instead, they’re breezed through, making more room for powerful testimonies about personal self-growth and communities built through riding.

Turns out, these women aren’t investing hundreds or thousands into bikes to prove something to men, let alone anyone else. They’re in the front seat simply because they can be, because they like how fun it is to ride in a pack with other women, because they want to see the world by traveling with just whatever supplies they could fit on their motorcycle.

Those intentions reveal more vulnerability and emphasize the healing that a hobby or sport like riding can give anyone, regardless of gender. “This bike has taken me there,” Tiara Shipton, who lost her father, says. “She almost turns me into a bird and I can fly.”

And while Saini makes it to the other coast, she notes that riding from A to B and sticking it to the doubters weren’t really the main points to begin with. The overall message is more universal: Our own personal journey will steer us toward the right people in the right places only when we’re true to ourselves. 

Women In The Front Seat is now streaming on Amazon.