Finding a Dream Roomate in Living Together @TIFF 2024

Why isn’t there much content about what it takes in Living Together? There’s so much content about owning a living in your dream home which is garnered towards those who have rather than the have-nots. In reality, many of us are in the segment of the have-nots or trying to climb up to being part of the haves. Many of us live and are still feeling the effects of being in a post-COVID world where prices are high and opportunities are less. This makes the documentary Living Together by director Halima Elkhatabi so interesting as she takes an up close and personal look at the lives of those who are not at the stage yet of raising a family, owning a home or having a steady or reliable spouse.

Living Together is a documentary brought on by the NFB that shows the reality of looking for the ideal roommate in the city of Montreal. There are many layers to this film as its main premise trickles down to show the audience this interesting process. Director Halima Elkhtabi shows many scenarios of how this may take place. Whether it is woman to woman, two guys with a woman, two women and a gay man, or a man with a whole group living in a house, Elkhatabi shows a humourous side to seeking a roommate. But she does present these scenarios to show how different each scenario is and how difficult it is to find a connection and tolerate a stranger living on your premises.

What makes Living Together so unique is what strangers share or overshare with each other when trying to make a connection. Director Halima Elkhatabi covers these varying subjects anywhere from board games to how they look in the morning, relationships, mental health, the patriarchy to career aspirations. This process is similar to speed dating but there’s more time involved in getting to know each other. We all know that everyone has issues and their own lives to deal with but it is vital in this process that all tenants can co-exist in a space. Elkhatabi shows that even though we are different when it comes to race, gender and age, there is more than meets the eye when sharing space.

What makes all the subjects alluring in this documentary Living Together is in hindsight, they are all trying to save money. This is the underlying motivation aside from connecting to other aspects and characteristics of the applying roommate. The roommate is also going to want to live in the space for some time to establish that living credit. They don’t want to be questioned down the line of gaps between their living quarters. That would make it just that much more difficult for both parties involved.

FERNTV loves how director Halima Elkhatabi has made the gruelling process of searching for a roommate in a light and amusing manner. Especially in a highly sensitive post-COVID world where anything can go wrong in a snap of a finger. Because there is so much that can go wrong with bringing in a roommate to your quarters, there must be that work that needs to be put in to recognize and connect with that person. In Living Together, Elkhatabi is unique in telling the stories of many from all walks of life who are in search of that person. In a world of many options, the work must be done with due diligence otherwise you would have many living alone. FERNTV knows that there is too much loneliness in the world so this film shows how we can prevent that.