Nineteen brides, scattered over four continents, run off on their wedding day. Dressed up in their wedding gowns they cross cities, industrial estates, inhospitable rocky outcrops, huge fields. Why? All attempts to explain this from different cultural backgrounds only served to increase the puzzle. Kris Kristinsson (son of an Icelandic father and a Dutch mother) did not follow a popular route to becoming a filmmaker. After working for a while in Japan as a translator, he ended up in Peru and there - without any film experience whatsoever - he made Ruta del Jaca (2009), the result of years of diligent work. Hearts Know * the Runaway Brides also has a long history. As anyone who watches the film will understand at once. Not only is there a lot of travelling, but the scenes and images Kristinsson picks up here and there betray a great precision. This took time and couldn’t be rushed. Alongside the occasionally fabulous shots, the film also has a pleasantly intangible element. For instance, the countless explanations for the evasive behaviour of the Runaway Brides of the title are obviously staged, but sometimes presented with such appeal that we start to have our doubts. This juggling of fiction and reality turns Hearts Know * the Runaway Brides into a strange, entertaining adventure.