Harri Grace, an actor-turned-producer from south Wales, blends documentary and drama in The Cycle Of Love, a heartfelt exploration of love and humanity. Grace has long worked in the field of documentary on projects such as The Walk, which followed a Syrian refugee processing her war trauma via a giant puppet; From Devil’s Breath, a timely documentary about Portuguese wildfires and their aftermath, co-produced by Grace and Leonardo DiCaprio; and Lost And Found, a study of ethnic cleansing in Myanmar made with regular collaborator, director Orlando von Einsiedel.
Grace and von Einsiedel’s latest film, The Cycle Of Love, was made with the backing of executive producer Priyanka Chopra Jones amongst others. Having premiered at Telluride Film Festival in 2025, it’s now about to get a UK release, and tells the story of PK Mahnandia, a young Delhi street artist played by Chirag Lobo.
In 1975, PK sketched a Swedish woman, Lotta Van Schedvin. Their paths appear to be starcrossed: she was on the hippie trail travelling through India when they met. Destiny, PK believed, had brought them together, and over the weeks their bond deepened. When Lotta left to return to Sweden, they promised to meet up again; Lotta failed to appear, so PK decided to cycle the 6,000 miles from Delhi to Sweden to find her.
The film uses interviews and reminiscences between the two of them, cleverly keeping them apart throughout the film, to maintain a sense of suspense. This present-day material is blended with reenacted footage brought to life by Chirag Lobo’s PK and Maria Lind’s Anee-Charlotte, both of whom add weight, chemistry and believability to this fantastical tale.
The journey takes PK through eight countries, including Afghanistan and Iran; he does portraits along the way to help finance his trip, battles the extremes of weather and relies on the (plentiful, it turns out) kindness of strangers. The film also casts a light on the horrors of the caste system, a rigid societal structure which, though outlawed, still holds sway. PK is a Dalit – an untouchable – and his encounters with fellow Dalits and their hardships are heartbreaking.
Nevertheless, his positivity constantly shines through, both in his interviews and in Lobo’s charming personification of his younger self. In a world where darkness seems suffocating, The Cycle Of Love is a welcome testament to positivity and love and well worth taking a ride upon.
The Cycle Of Love is in cinemas from Fri 18 Sept.
words KEIRON SELF
