Always a fan of the National Film Board of Canada and feeling like more people at TIFF need to see the NFB content, I am always trying to go out of my way to see their latest movies and shorts at the festival, and LIVING TOGETHER did not disappoint.
The TIFF Lowdown: 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.
In a series of inquisitive encounters and captivating conversations, young people looking for a roommate explore the prospect of forging genuine connections. Placing her camera in 15 Montreal apartments advertising a “room for rent,” director Halima Elkhatabi paints a complex and engaging picture of a generation accustomed to playing all their identity cards to find their place in the world. From the start, the questions and the answers run the gamut, each person seeking to define their individuality while probing that of the other.
Everyone reveals themselves with candour and vulnerability, hoping for that rare discovery: someone to share their space with who also shares their values. The debut feature-length documentary by a filmmaker with a compassionate and generous eye, LIVING TOGETHER maps a mosaic of cultures and ideas, with explorations of community, individualism and the right to housing in constant interplay.
Reaction: A lovely and fascinating document of youth in Montreal and finding the right place to live, LIVING TOGETHER initially seemed like something that was slow to start, but the movie reveals such a unique personality as it unfolds as we learn about a lot of different people from multiple backgrounds and their individual character. Filmmaker Halima Elkhatabi takes her time with her subjects and cuts frequently between multiple characters, and slowly but surely a great thesis on youth in Canada with different personalities and backgrounds comes out of it. I also loved the look and design with an almost film-like appearance, featuring long takes intercut with gorgeous shots of these living spaces with a light, airy music score in a short but sweet 75 minute run time. With LIVING TOGETHER already with the National Film Board of Canada, I am hoping this finds an audience and even in a few special event screenings in Canada that I hope will spark some discussion afterwards.
Thanks to TIFF Media for assistance with this reaction article. This is one of the many movies playing at TIFF this year. For more information, point your browser to www.tiff.net!