Halima Elkhatabi’s disarming documentary eavesdrops on dozens of Montrealers as they interview one another in the hopes of finding a roommate they won’t want to change the locks on after a week.
Looking for the ideal roommate can feel like an epic quest. You have to sit down with one stranger after another trying to convince them it’d be fun to have you around for an unknown amount of time.
Halima Elkhatabi’s documentary Living Together is all about the negotiation. Simple in form but full of life, the film sets us down in various Montreal kitchens, living rooms, and dens to watch a wide range of people test the waters of compatibility, divulging things about themselves and their lives they might hesitate to share with friends or even lovers.
Eccentricities are pre-emptively shared (“I look like a raccoon in the morning, and you can’t talk to me”), house rules are laid down (“We have lots of debates about the patriarchy”), and, in a few lucky cases, friendships begin to form. Elkhatabi — who also has a short film, Fantas, in this year’s Festival — captures it all with an uncomplicated visual approach, some very clever editing rhythms, and a subtle sense of humour.
(In a moment that really shows the kids being alright, the younger subjects are refreshingly frank about questions of sexuality and mental health, reframing potential vulnerabilities as statements of strength.)
Living Together is about the risks inherent in putting your security (and possibly your sanity) in the hands of a stranger, and the glee that comes with making an immediate connection. In other words, it’s about how to be human. Take notes.
NORM WILNER
Content advisory: mature themes, coarse language
Screenings
Scotiabank 8
Scotiabank 10
Scotiabank 11