Hot Docs: A view From Invisible City

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By Heidy Morales

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Director Hubert Davis’ Invisible City watch omega code the in divx

follows Kendal and Mikey as they grow from teenage boys to young men growing up in Toronto’s Regent Park.  We come to know the young men but also their mothers, and mentors like Ainsworth Morgan (a former teacher) who push them to succeed albeit their current circumstances living in an austere environment.

Regent Park has a “bad rep” in Toronto as one of many areas in the city where gun violence, drug deals and racial profiling is an everyday occurrence.  Over the last few years, the area is in the process of re-building.  Some buildings have been demolished, others are half-way there while the rest are awaiting demolition; this is all part of the Regent Park Revitalization project by the city of Toronto.  It was built in a way that is physically isolated from its surroundings and over the years, it has become somewhat of a socially isolated community.

If you have never been to Regent or any of the lower-income areas in Toronto, it would be hard to understand what growing up in these circumstances may be like.  Davis does a wonderful job in giving Kendall and Mikey a means to share their experiences and that of their peers.  The same can be said of their mothers and Ainsworth, who came back to Regent to be a role model to these teens.  We come to know the young men quite well and can understand their struggle with wanting to move forward and out of Regent while also maintaining a sense of identity that has been shaped partly by living in such an environment.

Davis delivers a thoughtful film in terms of the subject matter but also in its artistic style.  There are some great camera angles throughout, which provide one with a better understanding of the young men and Regent Park itself, since it is a major character in this story also.  At times, the camera shots feel metaphorical in the way they showcase the neighbourhood and how it affects the community that resides there.

There are many parts of the film that stand out for me.  My favourite though is when Mikey, Kendell and a few other teens visit Ainsworth at this home (outside of Regent) to watch a basketball game and also some old videos of the teens when they were younger and he was their teacher.  It is a poignant part in that Kendell and Mikey realise how their paths are diverging from each other but also from their younger selves.  It is time to face reality and deal with the choices they make.  It is also poignant for another reason; the young men get to see Ainsworth be a father and a husband.  He’s always “on the real” with the “guys”.  Many of these teens have absentee fathers and Ainsworth provides a more positive image of  men who also grew up in Regent.invisible2

On a personal note, I enjoyed watching this film because it reminded me of growing in St. Jamestown; another Toronto neighbourhood plagued by drugs, guns and badly kept building apartments, which provide little inspiration and motivation at times.  I remember the sense of community in that somehow someone always greeted you good day or good evening as you came and went from home; boys playing basketball at the courts; girls running around and just the non-stop huzzle and buzzle of the area.  I look back on those years and I’m glad I spent a few years there… I met some interesting people and learned to be more street-smart as well… This is part of the reason I enjoy watching documentaries… you never know what your reaction will be.

At this point, I will not give away more details about the documentary as I strongly recommend you attend one of the screenings at this year’s Hot Docs Film Festival.  Invisible City plays Sat. May 2nd, Sat. May 9th and again Sunday May 10th.  You can find more details for this and other docs at the Hot Docs’ website.

1 comment

  1. Becky Sinclair says:

    Awesome I enjoy most of the articles which have been written, and especially the comments posted! I’ll definately be visiting again!

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