Living Together

With affordable housing in short supply, young adults are increasingly struggling to find a place to call home. Halima Elkhatabi’s fly-on-the-wall documentary invites us to 15 apartments in Montreal, where a diverse assortment of potential roommates interview each other to determine their compatibility. The ensuing conversations are an intricate and at times 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? Can they roll with the polycule’s visiting schedule?

Cinematographer Josué Bertolino’s candid interview footage is punctuated by shots of the bedrooms’ décor, showcasing their inhabitants’ delightfully distinct personalities. Authentic connections soon 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. Bursting with personality, Elkhatabi’s empathetic documentary presents an earnest snapshot of Montreal’s zeitgeist.

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Media Partner