{"id":420539,"date":"2026-10-09T14:40:25","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T14:40:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ucm.one\/?page_id=420539"},"modified":"2026-10-22T12:57:33","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T12:57:33","slug":"together-apart-artkeim%c2%b2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ucm.one\/en\/together-apart-artkeim%c2%b2\/","title":{"rendered":"together apart. | Artkeim\u00b2"},"content":{"rendered":"

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together apart.<\/span><\/h1>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]Sophie and Jojo have been broken up for half a year, but they still live together like a couple. It isn’t until Sophie’s parents\u2014to whom she has so far kept the breakup a secret\u2014make their continued financial support for their daughter contingent on her having a child with Jojo that things start to change in the two millennials’ stagnant lives.[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”4\/5″][vc_message css=”.vc_custom_1789642079550{padding-bottom: 17px !important;}”]Theatrical release<\/strong>: In theaters in Germany starting December 3, 2026.[\/vc_message][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/5″ css=”.vc_custom_1770213337653{padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_btn title=”Showtimes” color=”juicy-pink” size=”lg” align=”center” css=”” button_block=”true” link=”url:%23spieltermine|”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”420453″ img_size=”full” css=””][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1561290391124{border-right-width: -15px !important;}”][vc_single_image image=”420455″ img_size=”full” css=””][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Synopsis<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Sophie and Jojo broke up after an eight-year relationship, but they still live together like a couple. Although they no longer sleep with each other, they still share the same bed and spend nearly their entire day together. When asked about their unusual situation, they point to the difficult housing market, but there are deeper reasons: Sophie\u2019s career as a photographer has never really taken off since she won a young talent award, and Jojo, an equally unsuccessful actor, gets by doing commercials and student short films. And both are bound together by a fear of being alone as well as a fear of permanent change.<\/p>\n

It isn\u2019t until Sophie\u2019s parents\u2014to whom she has so far kept the breakup a secret\u2014make continued financial support for their daughter contingent on her and Jojo finally having a child that things start to shift in the stagnant lives of the two thirtysomethings. What the parents present as a generous offer, Sophie perceives as blackmail. Jojo, on the other hand\u2014who still has feelings for Sophie even after the breakup\u2014sees it as a chance to win her back\u2014until a confession slips out and triggers a heated argument.<\/p>\n

Overwhelmed by the emotional turmoil, Jojo takes refuge in flirting with carpenter Franzi. His best friend Hakim, on the other hand, grows increasingly frustrated by Jojo\u2019s stubborn clinging to Sophie. Meanwhile, Sophie meets her 17-year-old neighbor Luna, who has just been cheated on by her boyfriend. A fleeting encounter gives rise to moments of connection between the two women. At the same time, Sophie\u2019s demanding mother, Barbara, is putting her daughter in an increasingly difficult position. In the end, Jojo and Sophie must decide whether to hold on to each other out of habit or to strike out in new directions.<\/p>\n

In his autobiographically inspired feature film debut, Alexander Conrads turns the classic premise of the romantic comedy on its head. Instead of showing two people who find their way to each other despite all their differences, the film confronts Sophie and Jojo with the question of whether they\u2019re even still a good match despite all their similarities. \u201ctogether apart.\u201d<\/strong> follows two millennials as they belatedly come of age and tells, with humor and lightness, how hard it can be to truly let go of relationships and life plans.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Director’s Commentary<\/strong><\/span>
\nby Alexander Conrads<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

When I broke up with my girlfriend in late 2020 after nearly five years together, we were both short on cash, and neither of us felt like going through the stressful process of looking for a new apartment. On top of that, we were in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, which would have made the search even more difficult. So we decided to stay in our shared apartment for the time being. What happened next surprised both of us: While we\u2019d been arguing constantly in the months leading up to the breakup, we suddenly got along really well. The realization that neither of us had ever intentionally wanted to hurt the other\u2014but that we simply weren\u2019t working as a couple (anymore)\u2014broke a knot that had been tightening more and more over the previous years.<\/em><\/p>\n

Things went well as long as we avoided thinking or talking about the future. For quite a while, we didn\u2019t realize that continuing to live together was preventing us from truly moving on from the relationship. Just like my two protagonists, Sophie and Jojo, who are also living in such a relationship vacuum and turning a blind eye to the fact that their current way of dealing with the situation isn\u2019t a long-term solution. But because both of them, in their mid-30s, still haven\u2019t really grown up and their lives are marked by uncertainty, they cling to what they know\u2014each other.<\/em><\/p>\n

Many young people today are faced with uncertain prospects for the future. Whether it\u2019s due to wars, the climate crisis, or the prospect of having to work until at least age 70\u2014it\u2019s hard to view current developments in a positive light. Whether at work, in relationships, or in friendships, many people find it hard to let go. Me too.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201ctogether apart.\u201d uses humor, heart, and quick, pointed dialogue to explore the difficult realization that life isn\u2019t a wish list, that fear of the new doesn\u2019t protect us from change, and that we have to bite the bullet every now and then in order to grow as people. We follow two people in their everyday lives who have actually realized that they no longer belong together but still can\u2019t bring themselves to make the break. Over the course of the film, they grow as people without ever reaching a final destination in their development or solving all their problems. And despite (or perhaps because of) their rough edges, we\u2019ve grown to love them by the end of the film.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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