[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAgEeFv1TN4[/youtube]
This week Toronto’s eco-film fest Planet in Focus (Oct 24-28) includes an exciting selection of films that highlight urban life and urban issues: water privatization in Detroit, the preservation of architectural heritage in Shanghai, line-ups for public washrooms in Mumbai, composting in New York City, and the three year long siege of Leningrad, as well as critical mass rides in Vancouver, and backyard gardening in Toronto’s Little Italy. A Robert Redford executive produced film The Unforeseen closes the festival on Sunday October 28 with a profile of the suburban development industry in Houston as it comes head to head with citizens concerned about impacts on the aquifer.
Check the website for the full festival schedule as well as details on tickets and screening venues.
The following are some of the films that involve urban issues:
THURSDAY OCTOBER 25
Mr Wong’s World (80 min / Germany)
In the midst of Shanghai’s building boom, a Chinese-Canadian billionaire spends his fortune saving historical buildings from the wrecking ball. Working under the radar of the Chinese government, his dream is to create a kind of “neverland†for endangered buildings.
7:30 pm @ Innis College
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Blockade (52 min / Germany)
During World War Two, Leningrad was under siege for over 900 days as Hitler tried to starve the city into submission. Using rare archive footage, Blockade shows the city’s transformation from defensive beginnings to a horrific aftermath.
9:00 pm @ The Royal Cinema
FRIDAY OCTOBER 26
You Never Bike Alone (82 min / Canada)
A quirky feature documentary looking at how cyclists are building critical mass in Vancouver, and changing the face of the city. It is the story of a growing grassroots movement that protests, barters and re-imagines a more bike-friendly world.
9:30 pm @ Innis College
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SATURDAY OCTOBER 27
Worms in the Big Apple (18 min / USA)
Nature makes a comeback in New York as activists turn garbage into gardens and first graders learn about the role worms play in composting.
1:00 pm @ Innis College
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GreenTOpia: A Panel Discussion
In this launch celebration for the newest book in the uTOpia series, contributors will discuss their ideas on how to make Toronto a greener place. Moderated by former Mayor David Crombie, participants include Alice Klein (NOW), Karen Shenfield (filmmaker), Eva Ligeti (Clean Air Partnership), Colin Ripley (RVTR), and Wayne Reeves (City of Toronto). The session will also include a film about one piece of green utopia that already exists:
Il Giardino: The Gardens of Little Italy (46 min / Canada)
A secret rural world lies steps beyond the buzz of Toronto’s College Street. Bucolic footage reveals Little Italy denizens – not all of whom are Italian — passionately sustaining their cultures in thriving gardens.
Film & Panel: 3:00 pm @ Innis College
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The Waterfront (53 min / Canada)
In 2001, when the Detroit neighbourhood of Highland Park was on the verge of bankruptcy, the city appointed an emergency financial manager who decided to privatize the water supply.
3:00 pm @ The Royal Cinema
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SUNDAY OCTOBER 28
Q2P (54 min / India)
Why do women’s restrooms have longer line-ups than men’s? In Canada, most would argue it’s an issue of biology, but in India perhaps it’s a matter of design. Set in Mumbai, Q2P looks at who has to queue to pee, and how urban design has become gendered by social taboos.
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Third Ward TX (57 min / USA)
The Third Ward is a once-vibrant community in Houston that fell into neglect after the city ran a highway through it. Now The Row House Project is bringing the community back to life. Third Ward TX is a story of imagination, hope, and love, both for community and for art.
5:30 pm @ Innis College
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The Unforeseen (94 min / USA)
Executive Produced by Robert Redford, this debut film by Laura Dunn premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival where it was hailed as “the best film at the festival, hands down.†The opening shot of Austin, Texas shows the steel skeleton of a rising bank tower looming over the State Capitol, perhaps an apt metaphor for the positions of commerce and democracy in that state’s development industry. What follows is a story of political resistance, as local residents battle a real estate giant to protect the aquifer and a beloved spring-fed public pool. One of the state’s prime movers, a now-bankrupt real-estate whiz kid, offers a surprisingly self-reflective interview.
7:00 pm @ The Royal Cinema
