Welcome to another double review edition. This time, I’m showcasing a pair of uplifting documentaries I saw at MSPIFF that exemplify the power of compassion, empathy, and love.
I enjoy tales of unexpected friendships that develop in surprising places. Betty Clark, an 80-year-old African American chaplain, and Dr. Jessica Zitter, a white Jewish doctor, work at The Wilma Chan Highland Hospital Campus in Oakland, California. Typically, chaplains and doctors don’t team up in the structured and isolated environment of a hospital; in fact, they often maintain a distant relationship.
Chaplain Betty and Dr. Zitter, who’s likely 20 years her junior, talk about how they didn’t really connect at first because of their own biases and prejudices. People often assume that doctors are all about science while chaplains focus on spirituality, as if those two things were mutually exclusive when it comes to patient care. As a descendant of slaves, Chaplain Betty is acutely aware of racial and social biases. She definitely brings a unique viewpoint to Dr. Zitter, who hails from Canada and comes from a family of traditional medical professionals.
Directed by Dr. Zitter and written by Jen Gilomen, this film shows that combining science and spirituality can really enhance palliative care. We get to watch the two of them interact with patients dealing with serious illnesses like cancer, heart failure, or dementia; their job is to help ease the pain and stress that come with these conditions. Chaplain Betty talks about the time she asked Dr. Zitter to pray with her for one of the patients who is terminally ill. Even though some of these patients are suffering greatly, it’s clear that the care and prayers from the kind chaplain bring a lot of comfort.
The growing friendship between these two is really heartwarming and lovely to see. I can only imagine that in a high-pressure environment like a hospital, having a close friend by your side makes it easier to handle a tough day. They obviously share a strong bond of trust and respect, and they support each other through their own personal struggles. We learn halfway through the film that Dr. Zitter was in Israel during the terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7th, and at one point, Chaplain Betty also fell ill and had to be hospitalized.
The movie also sheds light on the shortcomings of today’s health care system, which creates a logistical mess for both doctors and patients. One black woman had been on hold for weeks waiting for her surgery because the surgeon was out of town. It’s discombobulating to me that no one at the hospital could inform her when she might finally get the procedure, and she was worried that she couldn’t afford child care. It was a frustrating moment that likely happens more often than we think. Chaplain Zitter and Dr. Zitter even dipped into their own pockets to assist the patient. Now that’s what I call going above and beyond the call of duty!
I’m always inspired by health care providers, and many of them truly are unsung heroes. This film showcases the dynamic duo’s intense dedication to their jobs. However, what this film doesn’t do is provide a deep dive into the essence of palliative care. With a runtime of 86 minutes, there simply isn’t enough time to explore the background of how this type of health care developed or its core principles and practices. Nevertheless, the message it conveys is that this compassionate approach among health care professionals should be the norm, not the exception.
Love makes the world go round. All you need is love. Love makes you do crazy things. All of those sayings may seem cheesy and mawkish, but PK Mahanandia holds all of those things to heart. The Cycle of Love chronicles the romantic journey of a Delhi portraitist who trekked 6,000 miles from India to Sweden by bicycle in 1977 to reunite with the woman he loved.
Thus, the title refers to something literal, an extraordinary act of love that defies logic, because PK believed that destiny orders him to do so. Pradyumna Kumar Mahanandia, or PK, left his small town where he grew up for the big city of Delhi to follow his dreams of becoming an artist. He met a Swedish tourist, Anne-Charlotte von Schedvin, or Lotta for short, when she was on holiday in Delhi. Their 10-minute encounter (for 10 rupees, the cost of his portrait in 1975) proved to be life-changing for both of them.
An astrologer had told PK as a kid that someone who fits Lotta’s description would be his life partner (she’s a Taurus, plays the piano, and her parents own some kind of zoo/woodland). The two spent a few weeks together and even visited the village where PK grew up. Despite their short time together, their bond was deep and real, but Lotta had to go back to Borås, Sweden. The two wrote letters to each other, but when Lotta didn’t return to India as promised, PK decided he had to make the trip to see her.
UK filmmaker Orlando von Einsiedel mixes interviews and reenactments with actors to share this amazing love story. Chirag Lobo, as young PK, has great chemistry with Mina Dale, who portrays young Lotta, which is essential in convincing us that their bond was truly extraordinary. The narrative is adapted from a book by Per J Andersson, The Amazing Story of the Man Who Cycled From India to Sweden for Love. Being a biography/travelogue, it’s fitting that the film also follows PK’s arduous journey, with just $80 in his pocket, through eight countries, including Afghanistan and Iran.
The trip lasted more than four months, and he traveled along the popular ‘hippie trail’ that numerous Europeans took on motorcycles to reach India. PK supported himself by sketching portraits during the journey. It’s amazing how he managed to get through tough landscapes, traveling from barren deserts to snowy peaks without appropriate clothes or gear. He even took a moment to help a woman involved in a car accident, and she later gifted him with a train ticket from Istanbul to Vienna. Through his art and charming personality, PK finds camaraderie with strangers, and we get to witness the kindness of strangers who help him along the way. Einsiedel keeps PK and Lotta apart and interviews them separately throughout the film, just like the actors in the reenactment. This makes their eventual reunion even more special.
The film also highlights the horribly rigid caste system that continues to impact modern life, even though it was banned in 1950. PK was born a Dalit (previously called “untouchable”), which is the lowest caste deemed ritually impure and faces severe discrimination. During his journey, PK meets a few of them, and their stories are truly heartbreaking. Tragically, this systemic oppression persists even today. Despite all the challenges, PK is such a joyful and lively guy; his big, genuine smile really brightens up any room. These days, PK is an advocate for the Dalits, traveling the world to speak out for marginalized communities.
In an increasingly divisive world we live in today, it’s heartwarming to encounter real-life stories that celebrate our differences and our shared humanity. Lotta’s affection helps PK see himself as someone worthy, rather than the outcast society labeled him as, making this a journey of self-acceptance and belief just as much as it is a romantic one. The tale of PK and Lotta feels like a fairy tale, yet sometimes, reality can be even more astonishing and beautiful than fiction. This is a love story unlike any other; I’m glad I got to experience The Cycle of Love on the big screen.
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