BicycleCinema.org
Two British Embassy officials pedalling stationary bicycle generators to power a film screening in Vientiane, Laos, in December 2013
British Embassy Vientiane — pedal cinema unit (2013) — Photograph: Ambassador Philip Malone and Deputy Head of Mission Alex Needham pedalling to power the screening unit, Vientiane, December 20131 British Embassy Vientiane / UK Government (FCO), Open Government Licence v3.0 — via gov.uk

British Embassy Vientiane — Pedal Cinema Unit

Laos, Vientiane · Aid or conservation deployment

Historical last verified 2026-09 Prototype unveiled December 2013 for future rural Lao deployment; no later activity or rollout documented.
Topology not documented
1 prototype unitDocumented
  • Historical only
  • Split from an aggregated directory row

Websitehttps://www.gov.uk/government/news/british-embassy-brings-pedal-powered-cinema-to-lao-pdr

In December 2013 the British Embassy in Vientiane unveiled a UK-built pedal cinema unit intended for Lao villages without electricity. Ambassador Philip Malone and Deputy Head of Mission Alex Needham pedalled it for photographers at the Vientianale Film Festival; no later deployment is documented.

Key facts

  • Unveiled

    December 2013, Vientiane1

    Documented

  • Origin

    UK prototype originally built for off-grid rural North East England1

    Documented

  • Aim

    Bring screenings to remote Lao villages without electricity1

    Documented

  • Builders

    Fountain Design, Jack Drum Arts and Kids for Kids UK1

    Documented

“the aim is to take the pedal-powered screening unit to remote villages in rural areas of Laos where electricity is not available”

British Embassy Vientiane, GOV.UK press release, December 20131

The unveiling was timed to the Vientianale Film Festival and its director, Helen Ward 1. The Embassy's GOV.UK announcement gives no wattage, buffer, generator type or bicycle count, and no report of a village deployment was located 1.

Specifications

What do these labels mean?

FieldValueConfidenceSources
UnveiledDecember 2013Documented1
Built byFountain Design, Jack Drum Arts and Kids for Kids UK originally a prototype for rural North East EnglandDocumented1
Riders shown2 Ambassador and Deputy Head of Mission, pedalling togetherDocumented1
Output / buffernot disclosedNot disclosed1
Line diagram of the UK-built prototype pedal cinema kit unveiled for off-grid Lao villages
UK-built prototype pedal kit (Fountain Design / Jack Drum Arts / Kids for Kids UK) for off-grid villages1 Image: BicycleCinema.org, drawn from the research corpus
Audience at the British Embassy Vientiane pedal screening
Photo: British Embassy Vientiane (gov.uk) — via gov.uk
Map of Laos marking Vientiane with a historical-event badge
Vientiane, Lao PDR1 Image: BicycleCinema.org, drawn from the research corpus

Sources

  1. [1]GOV.UK — British Embassy brings pedal powered cinema to Lao PDRwww.gov.uk

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