Lucum Conlucare

Lucum Conucare, in the words of Henry David Thoreau, means to let in the light to, a consecrated grove. This film explores a simple but radical idea: unused land can become a catalyst for freedom, creativity, and community. What begins as a hidden BMX trail system reveals deeper questions about who gets to shape a city’s landscape, how subcultures survive development pressures, and why certain spaces become sacred to the people who remake them.

The riders speak in the language of dirt—digging, shaping, repairing, protecting. Their trails embody years of invisible labor and stewardship, yet their existence is always provisional. The tension between secrecy and inclusion, ownership and access, reveals the fragility of DIY spaces and the human need to carve out something meaningful amid constant change.

I was drawn to the contrasts: pro-level jumps inside a forgotten industrial zone; teenagers discovering purpose alongside riders in their fifties; conflict and collaboration intertwined in the same patch of woods. By foregrounding their voices, I wanted to honor the cultural, social, and spiritual value of these trails.

Ultimately, this is a story about reclamation—not just of land, but of possibility.