Another part of TIFF Docs, YOUR TOMORROW is one of the very best documentaries I saw at the Toronto International Film Festival this year, and even though it’s about a cultural landmark in Toronto this doc will work for anyone who loves a place that is going to be shut down. Read on for more!
The TIFF Lowdown: Ali Weinstein’s documentary captures the final year of Toronto’s celebrated Ontario Place, as the beloved provincial park is sectioned off for redevelopment while visitors keep showing up to walk its trails, enjoy the lake, or just check on the tomatoes they’re cultivating by the shore.
It’s unlikely there’s a single Torontonian who doesn’t have an opinion about Ontario Place. Either the massive waterfront park is a failed attraction, its historic buildings crumbling from years of neglect, or it’s a still-vibrant green space that’s been serving the public ever since it opened in 1971.
There’s no middle ground, which became very obvious in recent years as the provincial government leased a large section of the park to the European spa company Therme and a group of concerned citizens formed Ontario Place for All in the hopes of stopping the redevelopment.
Ali Weinstein’s Your Tomorrow, which takes its title from the park’s own mission statement, captures the final year of Ontario Place as we know it, shifting between the protest actions and the efforts of staff to keep Ontario Place going for what’s almost certainly its final hurrah. Through it all, ordinary people keep showing up to enjoy the park, to walk its trails, enjoy the lake, or check on the tomatoes they’re cultivating near the shore.
Reaction: Though I am not from Toronto, I had such a deep and profound experience watching YOUR TOMORROW and feel this wonderful documentary will appeal to anyone who values a place in the world that they enjoy for recreation or even just a place to go for a walk. When I attended the 2021 edition of Toronto’s festival, I ventured out here twice to see a movie in the Cinesphere/IMAX auditorium as well as an outdoor screening, but I also spent some extra time walking around the entire property and my imagination soared about what this place used to be, along with the endless walkways and buildings that with its rust and maintenance that was clearly needed, I felt lost in time.
Not only does filmmaker Ali Weinstein capture the appeal of Ontario Place but she also gets what the place FEELS like now. She isn’t afraid to show the buildings worn down, rust and all, but also what it means to the people who are connected to it, from the workers who have consistent challenges to the locals who use this as their solace. I was beyond moved by an older couple who walk here daily, and I even felt their pain when one of their spaces is closed off for redevelopment. I know people just like this on my daily walks around my home city. Then there are also wonderful throwbacks with stunning film footage from the 1970s that perfectly complement the modern footage. This is absolutely not a clip show but clearly a loving tribute by Weinstein who I can tell is passionate about this place.
YOUR TOMORROW is also one of the most visually outstanding movies I have seen at not only TIFF this year but overall in 2024, featuring very high quality cinematography that absolutely nails the look of the place, warts and all. I saw a very high quality screener ahead of the festival yet I also want to see this again at the Festival on a massive screen, and wouldn’t be ironic to watch it in the majestic Cinesphere IMAX auditorium, which also has a wonderful sequence that pays tribute to its size and the staff that works there.
Thanks to TIFF Media for assistance with this reaction article. This is one of the many movies playing at TIFF this year. For more information, point your browser to www.tiff.net!