Janapar: Love on a Bike


“Magnificent… a touching tale of love in wild and wonderful places…”

Ted Simon, author of Jupiter’s Travels

“A true adventure film, no exaggeration, no crap, brimming with honesty…”

The Outdoor Times
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If you’ve ever dreamed of jacking it all in and hitting the road, Janapar might be the film that inspires you to make it happen.

This award-winning feature-length documentary, produced and directed by BBC One filmmaker James Newton, will share with you a rare personal journey; the kind of story that underlies so many long and lonely road-trips but is hardly ever told.

Following Tom Allen’s pedal-powered odyssey through some of the world’s least visited regions, you’ll bear witness to the highs and lows of a transcontinental bike trip, with humour and hardship in equal measure, for the duration of his three and a half year ride — all lovingly captured on film.

But the best laid plans always go astray. And so it is for Tom when he meets Tenny, the unsuspecting Iranian-Armenian girl who will literally change the course of Tom’s life. Luckily, Tom is stubborn enough to keep on filming, even when it looks like his dream journey is doomed to failure…

Whether you’re a film fanatic or an armchair traveller or both, you’ll love Janapar, which was invited to hold its World Premiere at the 20th Raindance Film Festival, the biggest celebration of independent film in Europe, and has played at more than 20 international film festivals since then, winning multiple awards in the process.

Filmed over four years in 32 countries by one man on a bicycle, Janapar is a true one-off – a unique and intimate glimpse into a true story of life and love on the road; and a tale of finding what you’re looking for – right when you least expect it.

“…this film works so beautifully thanks to Allen’s commitment to capturing some of his most difficult and insightful moments…”

Cycling Weekly

“…a remarkable accomplishment. The love for the project, the intricacy and the time that must have gone into the editing process is overwhelming…”

Raindance Film Festival