“A peon sic to the people on New York's streets, an absurdist rom-com, a flawless comic subversion; I'm not sure what Love Story is. Possibly genius.” - Critic

New Zealand director Florian Habicht's documentary about the construction of a fictional love story merges snippets of narrative with actual interviews to create an original film in which the boundaries of art and life overlap.

Shot on the streets of New York, Love Story begins when Habicht finds a subject for his filmic experiment: the beautiful Masha, spotted at a subway station, carrying a slice of cake. Seeking advice from everyday New Yorkers - strangers - on how to create his on-screen love story with Masha, he takes the notion of interactive storytelling to its logical end, crowdsourcing his plot on the streets. Romance blossoms artificially, and organically, between the director, actor, New York and New Yorkers.

An opening night film at the New Zealand Film Festival, Love Story will surprise and delight in its idiosyncratic style.

“So effectively has Habicht mashed fact with fiction, reality with fantasy, that he has virtually erased the lines of traditional cinema.” - Lumiere Reader

Florian Habicht is a guest of the festival.

D/P Florian Habicht S Florian Habicht, Peter O'Donoghue TD DCP/2011