Love is in the air, at least that’s the case if you follow the Gregorian calendar and the celebrations of the liturgical year. Which is a roundabout way of saying… it’s almost Valentine’s Day.

So for the lovebirds reading, looking for that perfect film for a Valentine’s movie date, we’ve picked out five of our favourite romances to have featured in NZIFF 2022 films. And for those who would rather step on a rusty nail than celebrate an over-commercialised, materialistic holiday such as Valentine’s Day, scroll to the end for our dishonourable mention.

Ali & Ava - Ali & Ava – streaming now on AroVision

Forbidden love – a tale as old as time, except in this feature, a Pakistani immigrant and an Irish-born grandmother are the star-crossed lovers, set against the bleak backdrop of inner-city Bradford. There are no Montagues or Capulets in sight, but both have to contend with familial expectations whilst navigating the rocky waters of both race and class.

Katia and Maurice Krafft - Fire of Love – streaming now on Disney+

If you ever needed proof that love can coexist within a working relationship, then Fire of Love is the film to prove it. Whilst they bicker and nag and haggle over who gets to toe the line between life and death on any given day, Katia and Maurice prove to be the perfect foil for one another in their mutual obsession with chasing volcanoes.

Jim & Whetu - Punch – streaming now on AroVision

Aspiring boxer Jim finds an unlikely haven from his overbearing, alcoholic father in a relationship with his outsider takatāpui classmate, Whetu. The simmering tension between the two young men is palpable, and after Whetu shows Jim that maybe there’s more to life than walloping a punching bag, their romance begins to flourish.

Trish & Daniel - Stars at Noon - streaming now on AroVision

The lovers in Claire Denis’ Cannes 2022 Grand-Prix winner may be caught up in a (symbolic) marriage of convenience as much as anything else, but that doesn’t stop it being a sizzling, sensual affair, as stranded journalist Trish takes to the enigmatic Daniel much more than she’d originally planned. Steamy stuff.

Ahmed & Farah - A Tale of Love and Desire - streaming now on AroVision

Ahmed’s infatuation with cooler-than-cool new classmate Farah is a delicate dissection of youthful lust, a young man, dealing with a burning desire that is tearing at the heart of his conservative traditional upbringings. Farah is everything Ahmed is not, progressive, confidant, full of energy, and their courtship thrives as she introduces to him a breadth of sensual and erotic Arabic literature.

Dishonourable mention:

Patrick and Karin – Speak No Evil ­- streaming now on AroVision

These guys are just the worst. They’ve done for Dutch holidaymakers what Patrick Bateman did for Wall Street financiers – next time you’re offered a Stroopwafel from a charming Dutch couple on vacation, run in the opposite direction as fast as you can, and don’t let them anywhere near your kids.

Have we missed out your favourite couple? Let us know in the comments