Valentine's Day Line-up At BFI Southbank Revealed

BFI Southbank has expertly selected a programme of films celebrating romance and passion screening across the venue's four plush film theatres on February 14.
The programme offers classic visions of love with A Place in the Sun, A Matter of Life and Death and From Here to Eternity, as well as chances to experience contemporary love stories in Weekend and A Perfect Ending.
Last year Miranda Hart picked a film and a meal at the BFI as her 'best place for a first date' in ES Magazine’s My London column. With a wonderful selection of films and the chance to extend the evening at the benugo bar & kitchen or The Riverfront, the BFI Southbank is the best place in London to enjoy the complete Valentine’s Day experience.
Audiences can start their evening in Hollywood, where classic romance began, with multi-Oscar winning A Place in the Sun (1951). This passionate tale of love across social boundaries sizzles with the chemistry between Hollywood starlets Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift. Other classic love stories retuning to the big screen for this special evening include the utterly enchanting A Matter of Life and Death (1946) created by British Cinema’s most esteemed filmmaking duo, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. This superbly crafted fantasy drama offers breath-taking scenes of the young David Niven fighting for love against the odds, on the stairway to heaven. From Here To Eternity (1953) weaves a thrilling web of passion, honour and chivalry in the exotic Hawaiian tropics starring Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr.
The programme also offers an image of love in the 21st century with Andrew Haigh’s acclaimed Weekend (2011). Dubbed by The New York Times as ‘one of the most satisfying love stories you are likely to see’, this charming modern tale follows two men as they wrestle with the universal ideas of commitment and love after a one-night stand. Also screening is Nicole Conn’s lesbian romp which cuts straight to passion, A Perfect Ending (2012). A powerful tale of sexuality and empowerment, the film depicts a wealthy housewife’s search for sexual fulfilment in the arms of a female escort.
At BFI Southbank there's no need to finish the evening at the end of the reel. The benugo bar & kitchen’s intimate atmosphere is the perfect setting for a romantic meal. Alternatively, couples can also take advantage of the venue's prime location on the Thames and recline with a tailor made cocktail in The Riverfront, BFI Southbank’s chic and vibrant waterside bar.
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