Mating

This documentary deals with undying themes like friendship, love, sexuality and interpersonal relationships. Says director Lina Mannheimer, «this is not a film about an experiment, but an experiment which turned into a film». She went in search of two young people who use the internet as a dating tool in some capacity, and interviewed them both via Skype on a weekly basis. Then her two subjects, strangers to one another, happened to randomly meet – and a whole new story begins to develop. Edvin and Naomi themselves have filmed all of the material, never physically meeting Mannheimer in the process. Their lives, thoughts, and experiences are filtered through their own gazes as well as that of Mannheimer.

Both Edvin and Naomi come across as genuine and charming individuals, who really go above and beyond in terms of baring their own personal lives and emotions. However, this documentary never feels invasive, but stays impressively intimate and close to life. The relation between the two young protagonists is deeply engaging and encourages audiences to lose ourselves in it. Will the pair get their happy ending? Mating is a highly charming, moving, and thought provoking film – relatable and informative for younger and older audiences alike. We are done with the time of cholera, now it’s love in the time of the Internet that it’s all about.