How do you build a connection to a city you are new to?
Moving to a place completely strange to you can be pretty daunting, but it becomes easier for the most part once you get to know the city by exploring it. That’s what I was looking forward to when I moved to Toronto four years ago, but when the city was put to a halt because of the pandemic, so were my plans. I had a vague idea of what Toronto was like. It was a matter of seeing for myself, and much was not achieved during that time.Â
Anyways, fast forward to two years later, it was that time of the year, and fully back in person….the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). It was then and there when I finally saw the dynamics of the city:
As Toronto grew to be one of the big media cities, so did the prestige of TIFF. It is arguably the largest film festival attended by the public, unlike the Cannes or Venice film festivals which happen in more closed-off spaces. It takes place right in the heart of downtown, where everyday life unfolds for most Torontonians, if not all. Because of that, it is almost impossible to be unaware of TIFF happening, for the collective energetic voices of the crowd are loud enough to echo blocks away from the venue.
It was overwhelming. As I set foot into the street festival, I was engulfed by an enthusiastic crowd and an exciting commotion. It was as if everyone came out and gathered right here on King Street, which had no room for a single vehicle for the opening week. A lot was happening on my left, right, and center, and I didn’t really know where to look, or where to walk. There was the TIFF sign where people took pictures to commemorate their visit like it was tradition, the four distinctively designed theatres, movie posters plastered on the walls and billboards, food trucks and stalls of sponsors lined up across and at the corners offering samples of their products, and restaurant patios set up outside to attract customers in one of the best times for their businesses to flourish.
In the middle of this, I got to see what love for cinema really was. Tickets to shows sold out in the blink of an eye, and people stood in never-ending lines to get rush tickets. The fact that they were totally dependent on their luck didn’t stop them from waiting in line for hours if it meant they could get the chance to see their movie exclusively. It was the same with celebrities: fans lined up or sat outside the fan zone hours before just to see them walk the red carpet and possibly get a selfie or autograph. Along the way, sensing the commonality, random conversations are sparked, and you find out that like the movies and celebrities, there are visitors from all around the world. There is a saying that “love knows no border”, and here, it was seen that love for cinema knows no border, as there was support and appreciation for films not just from one’s homeland or community, but also for the ones foreign to them.
After half the day there, I was exhausted from the excitement. I wrapped up my night there, and as I crossed King Street onto the next, I could at last breathe fresh air and walk with space. The change was so sudden though it took me a while to realise that I was not in the atmosphere I was a minute ago, I was back in the regular city life the next. But the excitement stayed with me, from what I saw, and from the connection I finally built with the city.
Building a relationship with a new city and being able to see yourself adapt to the city is very important. It can take time, and it can be anything that teaches you about the city and helps you establish that connection: people, events, monuments. There was much left for me to learn, but that was a stepping stone to my discovery. My first visit to TIFF showed me Toronto’s liveliness, diversity, space for creativity, and opportunities to express yourself.Â
Since then, I eagerly look forward to that time of the year, because I believe that’s when I get to see the best of Toronto, and I do.