The story begins with a wide shot of Colombian houses on top of each other, on top of a hill. The shot continues down the hill. The houses that surround us are composed of delirious architecture. A neighbourhood filled with history of social and political upheavals. It is a short journey. It is a poetic journey, a tribute to the creative strength of youth and self-representation.

Russian documentary filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa brings the haunting images of the Siege of Lenningrad back into our collective memory in his reflection on the atrocities that happened in the past, lest we forget. From September 1941 to January 1944, lasting over 900 days, Hitler attempted to starve the city of Leningrad into submission. The siege of Leningrad was the longest of its kind during World War II, causing over half a million people to die, mostly from starvation.

Using rarely seen footage from the Soviet film archives, Loznitsa recreates a stunning historical account of the Siege, creating a state of the art soundtrack to accompany the silent footage. Blockade shows the gradual transformation of Leningrad: from its defensive beginnings to a horrific aftermath.

What would the future look like if the natural world was gone? A music inspired video that imagines what childhood would be like in a post-industrial landscape.

Fatima stands up to her teacher because she doesn’t want to take off the traditional Islamic head scarf. A brilliant exposé of diversity in the urban realm.

Red ripe tomatoes, fresh green basil and sweet bell peppers can all be found growing in the historic Toronto neighborhood of Little Italy. A rich assortment of produce provides for generations of families, as these gardens quietly humanize the populous urban landscape. The diversity of food grown in the gardens of little Italy mirror the diverse communities of people who have immigrated from other countries and have settled into the area. To many, these gardens grow the roots that help sustain ones culture, land and community.

A blind man accidentally loses his guide-dog. Alone in the dark in a big city, he discovers that his strength lies in recognizing his own vulnerability. La Gallina Ciega is a testament to the 5 senses.

One person’s castaway is another person’s treasure. Second-hand clothing has become the main import in some African countries where it’s responsible for dressing 90% of the population. Around the world, most of us tend to keep up with fashion trends and we shop for new clothes at stores that carry name brands. In Africa the recycled use of articles of clothing is called “dead men’s clothing” – because no one would think of throwing away something you can still use. Unless the person it belonged to was actually dead.

Mitumba is the simple story of a t-shirt; its journey from the north to the south of the world, told by the people involved in the second-hand clothing trade.

In the midst of China’s booming industrial revolution, the city of Shanghai provides ample evidence of rising economic prosperity. With many businesses looking towards the future, Mr. Wong prefers to invest in the past. A wealthy Chinese-Canadian billionaire, Mr. Wong is spending his fortune salvaging historical buildings in Shanghai, discreetly under the radar of the Chinese government. His dream is to create a historical utopia, in which artistic and cultural exchange can flourish. Mr. Wong’s world is a compelling and critical look at the ethics, strategies and alliances necessary to preserve China’s past in the modern era.

Do you ever wonder why there is always a line up at women’s public restrooms, and never one at the men’s? In North America, most would argue that it is a simple issue of biology, but in India perhaps it’s more a matter of design…

Q2P is a contemplative study of how gender and class inequalities are revealed through toilets; something we normally take for granted. Set in Mumbai, India, where women going to the loo alone is stigmatized, the film looks at who has to queue to pee, and how urban centre design becomes gendered by this social prohibition.

Just weeks after its discovery, residents of Singapore quickly realized that Chek Jawa - the last remaining untouched inter-tidal area in Singapore - was doomed for urban development. One final attempt is made by a group of volunteers to preserve Chek Jawa, in their minds and in their hearts. An action leads to an unsuspecting shift in government policy, forever changing the course of Nature Conservation in Singapore.

A man wakes up to discover that his home and way of life are being destroyed due to urban development. An experimental animated short depicting the harsh displacement of communities in developing nations due to economic progress.

Much has been said about the increase of violence in Toronto. It is clear that death at the hands of a gun is tragic and senseless, but what become of those who survive?

The Survivors Project explores the traumatic impact and implications of gun violence on young people and young black men in particular, living in low-income radicalized neighborhoods. The film follows the story of an ex-gang member from “The Town” in Rexdale.

Can we learn from his experience or has it all been said too many times? Can we reach them before they are unreachable?

Austin Texas is a boomtown in the late 1970’s, a place where a west Texas farm boy believes he will make his fortune. He spearheads the fastest selling subdivision in the state until word gets out that the local treasure, a fragile limestone aquifer and naturally spring fed swimming hole is threatened. The community springs to action, fights back and forms one of America’s strongest environmental movements. Later, the whole Savings and Loans scandal of the 1980’s explodes, putting development on hold. But the story doesn’t end there. This visually stunning meditative work of art makes us ponder our understanding of property rights, public space, development, and our ability to be custodians of the natural world. When we dream, what are we really wishing for?

The Third Ward is a neighborhood in Houston, Texas that was historically populated by African-Americans. However, in the 60’s the city ran a highway through the area isolating 30, 000 people; dividing and wrecking the tight, vibrant community that once was.

Later in 90’s a group of artist developed The Row House Project with a mission to bring life back to the community through the love of art. In the process, these artists-turned-activists transformed lives - starting with their own.

Third Ward TX is a revealing look at a community's struggle to survive - from segregation to the limited promise of integration, from drug wars to the economic challenges of gentrification. It is a story of imagination and hope, passed along person to person through the love of art and community.

From evolution through urban development to obliteration, this witty animated short film looks at the ironic relationship between growth and destruction.

Birds, especially migratory birds, are hitting windows all over North America and all over the world – Toronto is no exception. Meet the volunteers behind Fatal Light Awareness Program in their efforts to seek out the injured and the dead. In association with Dr. Daniel Klem, an ornithologist, they find birds stunned beside buildings, clinging to walls, frantically flying between high-rises, and lying dead on asphalt. Birds are under serious threat, as their contribution to the ecosystem through pollination and seed distribution is in serious decline. A fact finding mission which will raise awareness of fowl play in the built environment.

In protest of their illegal, yet allegedly scientific whaling practices in Antarctic waters, Greenpeace parks a giant whale carcass outside the Japanese Embassy in Berlin for all to see. Arriving unannounced, the presence of the whale captivates the citizens of Berlin and reaches millions of viewers around the world. A testament of how an environmental tragedy can be transformed into greater public awareness.

Composting is in, in New York City! In the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, along East River, in idyllic backyards and community gardens environmental activists go to great lengths to transform their garbage into gardens. So does a classroom of first graders learn about worms in the Big Apple and how they are integral to the cyclical processes of composting. Nature makes a comeback in the big city and ironically the abundance of waste has made it all possible.

Cyclists unite! A quirky feature about the critical mass movement, which has commuters, bike enthusiasts, activists and environmentalists reclaiming city streets en masse. You Never Bike Alone is an activist film; about a growing grassroots movement that protests, barters and re-imagines a more bike-friendly world that brings together communities to promote a healthier and more sustainable environment.