Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other

Maggie Barrett (75) has had a complex and varied life, though her dream of becoming a well-known writer has never come to fruition. She has been with world-famous street photographer Joel Meyerowitz (84) since 1990, and although they love each other dearly and have collaborated several times, Maggie often struggles with Joel’s renown. In this elegantly filmed dual portrait, filmmakers Jacob Perlmutter and Manon Ouimet follow the couple in their country house in Tuscany and their New York apartment.

In vivid collages of images, Barrett and Meyerowitz’s younger years unfold side by side, initially showing them as separate entities. Subsequently, the lovers mainly appear together. Against a background of everyday worries, successes, a rehabilitation process and a move, the couple find themselves taking stock.

This intimate study of a relationship shows the complexity of a long-term relationship from the inside. There are loving scenes and funny moments, as well as a struggle with existential questions about mortality, about being seen and appreciated. Old pains, the camera reveals, can no longer be soothed away.