Cycle of Love (12A)

Delicate and heartwarming, Orlando von Einsiedel’s stirring documentary is the kind of film whose sweet subject transcends time and borders.

The film follows the romantic journey of PK Mahanandia, who embarked on a bicycle trip from India to Sweden in 1977 to be reunited with the woman he loved.

In 1975, P.K. met the woman of his dreams: Lotta. She was traveling from Sweden, when she sat for P.K. to sketch her portrait. In 10 minutes their lives changed forever. The film is mostly made up of reenactments, but they are done with so much artistry that you could remove the docu elements and have a brilliant drama on its own.

As well as its focus on racial discrimination, it’s also incredibly vital for the turbulent moment we’re currently living through. Empathy, respect, kindness, love — it’s all cyclical in how we treat others and are treated in return, whether in present situations and relationships or as time and lives go on. Its themes being based in Hindu ideology is essential to its richness as a true story and as a film.