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Living Together film image; two people sitting on opposite chairs

Living Together

Cohabiter

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With affordable housing in short supply, young adults are increasingly struggling to find a place to call home. Halima Elkhatabi’s droll documentary invites us to view 15 apartments in Montreal, where a diverse assortment of potential roommates interview each other to determine their compatibility. The ensuing conversations (many of them involving Gen Z) constitute an intricate and often humorous dance of self-disclosures and boundary-testing: would their potential new roomie mind their lengthy showers? How about table-saw noise? Or the need to store 100 unsorted Lego sets?

Authentic connections emerge as the film’s subjects gush about passions ranging from voguing to stand-up comedy to film, poetry, and Lebanese music, unveiling a rich tapestry of cultural interests. Heartfelt discussions soon unfold on the topics of white privilege, patriarchy, neurodiversity, sexuality, and mental health. It’s a disarming film about how we unveil our true selves to those strangers who may, or may not, turn out to be our closest friends.

Director

Halima Elkhatabi

Credits
Country of Origin

Canada

Year

2024

Language

In French and English with English subtitles

19+
75 min
National Film Board of Canada

Book Tickets

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Credits

Executive Producer

Nathalie Cloutier

Producer

Nathalie Cloutier

Screenwriter

Halima Elkhatabi

Cinematography

Josué Bertolino

Editor

Yousra Benziane

Original Music

Timo Vossenkaul

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