Brooklyn history razed for the condo craze
GUT RENOVATION: “Don’t fall in love with buildings, they’ll only break your heart.” Seen scrawled outside one of the many casualties of a condo craze in Brooklyn, this piece of graffiti wisdom proves all too true in Gut Renovation, a new documentary that makes its Toronto premiere this week. A longtime resident of the neighbourhood known as Williamsburg, filmmaker and Princeton professor Su Friedrich was duly appalled to see what happened when the area was rezoned for high-density residential use in 2005.
The massive influx of luxury condo developments would soon drive out local businesses and the existing population of largely workingclass residents and artists. Shot over four years, Friedrich’s film depicts the destruction of dozens of historic buildings and the transformation of the cityscape. Given that her own building was awaiting a similar fate, it’s understandable that Friedrich was hardly a neutral observer — indeed, she’s angry about many of the changes she sees and reserves special contempt for the “fancy dogs” that now rule Williamsburg’s sidewalks along with the army of hipsters.
On Oct. 9 at 7 p.m., Friedrich will be at the Royal to present Gut Renovation and take part in an onstage “gentrification conversation” with The Grid columnist Edward Keenan and developer Alan Saskin.
PLANET IN FOCUS: The 13th annual festival of films about the environment and what people are doing to save it, Planet in Focus officially kicks off Oct. 10 at TIFF Bell Lightbox with a 7 p.m. screening of Lost Rivers, a fascinating look at the natural river systems that have long been buried and disrupted by urban development and what these wa- terways can do to make our cities more livable. Caroline Bâcle’s film is followed by four more days of screenings and events, including the Canadian premiere of Trashed, a guide to some of the world’s most appalling refuse sites as conducted by Jeremy Irons, and a tribute to director Jennifer Baichwal, the Canadian Eco Hero for this year’s fest.
THE COMEDY AT REFOCUS: Fans of the Adult Swim duo known as Tim and Eric will get to see their heroes in a different context in The Come- dy, a new American indie feature that makes its Toronto premiere in the latest edition of Refocus. Tim Heidecker stars as an aimless Brooklynite who becomes involved in an escalating series of stunts in order to pass the time. Heidecker’s usual comedy partner Eric Wareheim and former LCD Soundsystem leader James Murphy are among his co-stars. Rick Alverson’s film attracted comparisons to such cinematic provocations as Lars von Trier’s The Idiots when it debuted
at Sundance. You can see it for free on Oct. 10 at 9 p.m. at Double Double Land (209 Augusta).
REGENT PARK FILM FUNDRAISER: Regent Park’s newly opened arts and cultural centre, Daniels Spectrum hosts a “fabulous fundraising” event for the Regent Park Film Festival this week. Along with a screening of We Are Wisconsin — a new documentary about the battle between the state’s Republican governor and six activists who took over the capitol building in 2011 — your $50 ticket gets you a reception with the filmmakers, an advance program for the festival in November and an ever-handy charitable tax receipt. The event takes place Oct. 10 at 6:30 p.m. at Regent Park’s brand-new community hub at 585 Dundas St. E. ERASERHEAD MASTER CLASS WITH VINCENZO NATALI: One of the most cryptic and disturbing visions ever committed to film, Eraserhead is nothing if not ripe for analysis. Director Vincenzo Natali takes a crack at it when the maker of Cube and Splice conducts a master class on David Lynch’s 1977 feature debut at TIFF Bell Lightbox on Oct. 9 at 7 p.m.