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JOURNEY FROM THE HEART (LOVE AROUND THE WORLD)

© Davor and Andela Rostuhar and BR

It would be very easy to have a go at 'Love Around The World'.

There's nothing particularly high concept about the documentary.

Thirty three couples from around the world are asked to muse on the meaning of love and tell stories about how they came together.

However Croat filmmakers Davor and Andela Rostuhar's feature offers a little bit more than that.

© Davor and Andela Rostuhar and BR

For 'Love Around The World' has its roots in the Rostuhars' own story.

The couple met when Davor, a photographer, was preparing for a trip to the South Pole.

Davor proposed to Andela on a boat in Antarctica - footage of which appears in the film.

But rather than focus on their own bliss, the couple were keen to understand what love and marriage meant to different people in different cultures.

© Davor and Andela Rostuhar and BR

After they wed, the Rostuhars packed their cameras and embarked on a long honeymoon travelling to tge five continents and meeting couples in 30 countries.

They interviewed couples in India and New Zealand, Belgium and Namibia, Brazil and Japan.

Armed with the same set of questions, they asked each couple to reflect on what brought them together.

All of this, I know, sounds like a bucket full of schmaltz.

© Davor and Andela Rostuhar and BR

However 'Love Around The World,' which was originally broadcast on French and German television on St Valentine's Day, has two things going for it.

The first is Davor's eye for a stunning landscape.

Viewers are treated to spectacular aerial views of waterfalls, desert plains, cityscapes, jungles and icy tundra.

The filmmakers capture chuckling infants being held aloft in the air by proud tribesmen, colourful wedding parties celebrating according to the cultures' different traditions.

© Davor and Andela Rostuhar and BR

There are slick drone shots and judiciously chosen slow motion images.

The visual style really impresses but the other asset  'Love Around The World' has is the people the Rostuhars interview.

The stories they disclose are much more entertaining than viewers might expect.

The film provides insights into interracial marriages, arranged marriages, single sex relationships, polyandrous relationships.

© Davor and Andela Rostuhar and BR

A Japanese Pastor and his wife tell a remarkable tale of how their marriage was tested by gambling and a threat from the Yakuza.

A Brazilian wife cackles as she and her husband recount how he prized her away from a boyfriend and later how she got pregnant 

An American couple tell how a family tragedy brought them closer together following a history of infidelity.

A lesbian couple in Iran bravely talk about how they fell for each other - risking sanctions in a county where same sex relationships are illegal and punishable by death.

© Davor and Andela Rostuhar and BR

A Namibian bushman and his wife sport beaming smiles as he recounts how he fired a Cupid's arrow to land her.

A French couple also candidly talk about their open relationship, as the husband explored his sexuality.

All of these stories are imparted in 'When Harry Met Sally' style interviews, with the couples perched on sofas, carpets, steps, tents or in one case on a hammock.

They often tell their stories with great humour.

© Davor and Andela Rostuhar and BR

Sometimes there's tears.

So what's the lesson? 

What love means differs from couple to couple, culture to culture.

It's hardly a big revelation but how the Rostuhars set about their task is more impressive.

But it is the people they engage and the stories they unearththat makes 'Love Around The World' a very pleasant 75 minute cinemagoing experience.

('Love Around The World' had been touring UK and Irish cinemas and is being screened at the Queen's Film Theatre in Belfast from November 26-27, 2022)


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