Gladiators on wheels

A staple of rural Indian festivals for decades, the Well of Death features motorcyclists – and the occasional car driver – performing death-defying stunts while circling 18-metre-high walls. In Gladiators on Wheels, the British Indian filmmaker and photographer JIJO captures stunt performers in the state of West Bengal as they discuss how thrills, freedom, camaraderie and unconventional life paths have drawn them to this work. They also address the genuine dangers involved, including their injuries and the deaths of friends, as well as how competition from smartphones has diminished the popularity of the act, leaving the performers’ future uncertain. JIJO pairs these accounts with gripping, immersive footage of the performances, underscored by the guttural, thunderous roar of the engines.