Patriot Riders

Patriot Riders takes the viewer on a solemn, spiritual journey astride motorcycles to funerals of young soldiers killed in action.  The Patriot Guard Riders are a group of motorcyclists originally formed to protect grieving families from members of the Westboro Baptist Church.  Members of that church gather at military funerals to harass families for allowing their sons and daughters to serve.

In reaction to this church group, and in sympathy for the families at a most tragic time, the motorcyclists escort the fallen soldiers from the airfield to the burial grounds, where the Patriot Riders form a protective shield around the bereaved families. Amazingly, this small volunteer group of motorcyclists has grown to 180,000 in just five years.

Patriot Riders investigates the popularity of this movement: who it attracts, how it interacts with the military, and how the families feel being supported by such a nontraditional alliance.  The film reveals an unlikely but powerful bond between the riders and the grieving families.  Their poignant and heartfelt stories chronicle the emergence of a new kind of spiritualism and patriotism in America.