This screening includes a Q&A with the film's Director Lulu Wei and Producer Ali Weinstein
Wei’s film poignantly captures the sense that Honest Ed’s was a piece of a bygone era, while asking the audiences of today what residents should value—and fight for—in their city." – Pat Mullen, POV/Point of View Magazine
"Director Lulu Wei captures a unique profile of a community losing access to both the residential and commercial spaces that allowed it to flourish in There's No Place Like This, Anyplace." – Barry Hertz, THE GLOBE AND MAIL
Since Honest Ed's opened almost 70 years ago, it has served as a beacon in Toronto for diverse communities and has maintained its role as a meeting place for recent immigrants from all over the world. In 2013, the entire block that housed Honest Ed’s, as well as an artists’ colony called Mirvish Village, was sold to a luxury developer to be redeveloped into high-end apartments. There’s No Place Like This Place, Anyplace begins as the neighbourhood and community are at a tipping point. Small businesses, gallery owners, and artists are forced to vacate the block, and the landscape of a heritage neighbourhood is set to be transformed into a modern development. TNP follows the transformation of the block and the stories of three people who must move - Itah, Gabor, and Lulu, the filmmaker. It shows why this iconic block held such a special place in the hearts of so many while using it as a microcosm to explore the impact of development on the fabric of a community and a city, questioning how we reconcile our histories with inevitable change in the midst of the biggest housing crisis the country has ever seen.
Awards:
Winner - Top five Rogers Audience Award, Hot Docs, 2020
Globe and Mail’s – 10 best Hot Docs bets list, 2020
NOW – Top 10 Must-see films at Hot Docs list, 2020
National Post – 10 Best Bets at Hot Docs list, 2020