This is my colleague Kris with TO filmmaker Clement Virgo. We’re working on a newserial that looks to reframe neighbourhoods known for their crime rates in a more positive light.
Clement grew up in Regent Park. It’s a downtown neighbourhood centred around a housing project that’s had a lot of problems over the years. Actually the whole development is being redesigned and rebuilt at the moment, with the hopes of putting in mixed-income housing. And Clement is a real success story: The guy’s won Genies (Canadian Oscars), and shown his stuff in Cannes, at TIFF, etc. Clement introduces us to the Regent Park that influenced his formative years, that helped him become the filmmaker he is today.
The whole series runs next week, but you can check out Kris’ blog entry on Yesterday’s shoot with Clement. I’ll post a link when the stories go online.
