They share an androgenous beauty and hip vintage style. We don’t know the full story of these four friends. Are they student room mates? Two couples? Either way, The Lovers from Berlin, a short film and series of stills by Niv Shank and commissioned by Icon Magazine, captures the rush of being young and free in the city.

Aesthetically, the images recall the 1970s or 1980s when Berlin was still under communist rule, signalled by the retro cars, clothes and interiors and the nostalgic, cinematic atmosphere that channels We Children from Bahnhof Zoo and The Dreamers. There’s a carefree erotic tension as, in varying combinations, we see them skip down subway steps, play cards, dance, kiss or share a bath à quatre.

Every day is a new adventure and every encounter holds the power to set life on a new course. When night falls, the film ends in a game of spin the bottle and four semi-clothed bodies, limbs entangled, on the floor.