Romantic Road

If one could only be as eccentric and adventurous as the English couple Rupert and Jan Grey. They decide to drive through India with a 1936 Rolls-Royce, a smoke-billowing and constantly breaking symbol of colonialism. Oliver McGarvey's film Romantic Road proves that not all Grey-haired Britons dream of quiet retirement days. The document is set on a six month period full of action and philosophical musings. As the Grey's manoeuvre through the Indian traffic, customs bureaucracy and garages, the stench of kerosene, mud and sweat is so strong that you can almost smell it in the audience. At times, the camera visits a film set, where the local politics are emphasized and the white privilege is as clear as day. Romantic Road is simultaneously sympathetic and political; both a road movie and a biopic. It is a warm depiction of a 35-year-long marriage, a true story of how important it is to have the support of your loved one.