Charlotte's Castle follows fight to save historic Toronto apartments amid skyrocketing real-estate market, at VIFF Centre November 3 to 16

Colourful cast of renters organizes against a foreign-owned developer to save cultural landmark, in a story that hits home in Vancouver

Charlotte’s Castle screens at VIFF Centre from November 3 to 16

SPADINA GARDENS TENANT Charlotte Mickie says it “hurts her soul” to see a developer push ornate leaded-glass windows out of a dining room suite to crash on the ground. And if you consider that a similar affront to beautiful old architecture—or your taste tends toward nostalgic knicknacks and overstuffed bookshelves over cold white minimalism—you’ll find Jamie Kastner’s new documentary a compelling portrait of a vivid little community under threat.

Spadina Gardens, built in 1904, is a graceful, red-brick apartment, surrounded by highrises in Toronto’s Annex neighbourhood. It’s a heritage-architecture lover’s dream, complete with original pocket doors, 14-foot ceilings, ceramic-tiled fireplaces, and full dining rooms. The rental is populated with art collectors, jewellery-makers, and other colourful characters who fill their units to the brim with paintings, sculptures, settees, and books—an aesthetic that’s the polar opposite of that of the Dutch company who’s just bought the building, and plans to blow out walls, rip out mouldings, and bring in the sleek lines of open-concept luxury condos.

They don’t know who they’re dealing with. Kastner captures the residents’ fight against developers, vying for heritage status and protesting changes inside and out. Along the way he tells the human stories behind the doors of a complex that once housed a recently divorced Maureen Forester and her unruly teen brood, and a publisher who hosted literary ’dos with the likes of Salman Rushdie, Ian McEwan, and Gabriel García Márquez.

Rich with urban history, the low-key doc is a treat for those who harbour a soft spot for an old Toronto that's starting to disappear. At the same time, the story will feel achingly familiar to Vancouverites feeling the squeeze of rocketing real-estate prices and watching beautiful old rental buildings and cozy bungalows cleared for glass condo towers, while affordable, livable rentals are impossible to find. Charlotte's Castle might "hurt your soul" too, but it might also give you hope that even a ragtag bunch of retirees and creatives can take on city hall.

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Janet Smith

Janet Smith is cofounder and editorial director of Stir. She is an award-winning arts journalist who has spent more than two decades immersed in Vancouver’s dance, screen, design, theatre, music, opera, and gallery scenes. She sits on the Vancouver Film Critics’ Circle.

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