Lulu Wei is a Toronto based filmmaker and cinematographer whose work explores themes of urbanization and cultural identity. Wei’s short films and installations have been screened and exhibited at various festivals such as the Images Festival, Planet In Focus Film Festival, and Inside Out Film Festival. Wei has worked as a cinematographer and camera operator on numerous projects, most recently on “Last Car.” Previously, Wei has been a member of the International Cinematographers Guild and worked in the camera department on television shows such as “Orphan Black,” “Nikita,” and “Degrassi.”
“There’s No Place Like This Place, Anyplace” was scheduled to screen at the 2020 Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival. A digital version of the fest has been organized due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “There’s No Place Like This Place, Anyplace” will screen in Hot Docs Festival Online, which will launch May 28 and is geo-blocked to Ontario, Canada. More information about the program and how to tune in can be found here.
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
LW: “There’s No Place Like This Place Anyplace” is about the redevelopment of a beloved landmark called Honest Ed’s in Toronto, Canada. Honest Ed’s was a discount store that lasted for almost 70 years, but it also served as a beacon for diverse communities and maintained its role as a meeting place for recent immigrants from all over the world. In 2013, the entire block that housed Honest Ed’s, as well as an artists’ colony called Mirvish Village, was sold to a developer.
The film follows the transformation of the block and its community members, while showing why this iconic block held such a special place in the hearts of so many people. It explores the impact of development on the fabric of a community and a city, questioning how do we reconcile heritage preservation and history with inevitable change in the midst of the biggest housing crisis Canada has ever seen.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
LW: This was a personal story that unfolded around me, as my partner and I were living in that block when all of the businesses and artists were forced to close and relocate. I realized that no one was documenting how special the block was and I was worried that it would be forgotten. I started documenting the community in hopes of preserving it, so that people in the future could see how amazing Honest Ed’s and Mirvish Village were.
The more I delved into filming, the more I realized that the story is also about city building and space-making. I’ve always been interested in the way cities are built and function. It is a universal topic that affects all of us on multiple levels: where we live and work, what we have access to, our modes of transportation.
Cities are ever-changing, constantly in a liminal space, and people have always needed communities and places to call home. What if you can no longer live in your home and nothing is affordable anymore? What if everything that makes a city special gets redeveloped? These are all things that drew me to telling this story.
W&H: What do you want people to think about after they watch the film?
LW: I hope that audiences see that this is not your typical story about gentrification. I’d like to raise questions and keep the conversation going about the housing crisis, the lack of affordable housing, and the issues around gentrification that a lot of cities are facing.
Although the film is about a block in Toronto, I think many people will be able to connect with the story and this community. I hope they’ll be able to experience the magic of Honest Ed’s and the nostalgia around it. I hope it will encourage people to think about who our cities are being built for and how do we create cities that we want to actually live in that are affordable and accessible.
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
LW: I learned a great deal from making this film, as this was my first feature. I’ve spent about four years working on it, and there have been lots of challenges that I’ve been able to learn from and overcome. I hadn’t planned on making a feature film when I began the project and filming while the story unfolded around me proved to be one of the biggest challenges I faced, creatively and practically.
Creatively, it took longer to narrow in on the story I wanted to tell, as I also had conflicting feelings about the redevelopment. Practically, filming as everything is happening around me was unpredictable — and you have to learn to be flexible and adapt quickly — but coming from a cinematography background allowed me to pick up a camera and shoot whenever I needed to.
W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.
LW: I started the film as a passion project that I worked on whenever I could and used whatever camera I had access to. I didn’t think I was going to be able to find funding for it, but I was determined to make it with or without funding.
Eventually, I found our producer, Ali Weinstein, and participated in a few talent labs, which helped develop the pitch for the film. Through the Reelworld Film Festival talent lab, our film was chosen to receive funding from Telefilm Canada’s Talent to Watch program, which is a fund for first features. Everything pretty much snowballed from there, and I received funding from the Hot Docs CrossCurrents program and the Toronto Arts Council.
We were also successful in pitching the CBC, which funded a 44 minute broadcast version of the film.
W&H: What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
LW: I love watching films and have always enjoyed the escapist aspect of films. I like how I can immerse myself in another world and be someone else for a few hours.
I didn’t plan on becoming a filmmaker and had a bit of a roundabout way of becoming one. I’ve always been a visual person and ended up going to Ryerson University for an MFA in Documentary Media, thinking I’d become a documentary photographer. I was then drawn to storytelling through documentary film and decided to make a film for my thesis project.
W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?
LW: I think some of the best advice I’ve received has been to not give up or fear rejection. Documentary filmmaking is tough, and there are a lot of obstacles to overcome. You have to be passionate about what you’re making because if it’s a story you believe in, you won’t give up on it. I think it’s easy to get discouraged from rejection, but when one door closes, another opens.
W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?
LW: I find that, as women of color, it’s easy to doubt our own abilities and feel imposter syndrome. So I think that my advice would be an affirmation to other female directors that they’re amazing, they deserve to tell these stories, and it’s our time to shine.
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.
LW: I think a recent film that really spoke to me was “The Farewell” by Lulu Wang. It’s rare to get to see an all-Asian cast and complex Asian characters portrayed in North American cinema. This film was so real and very relatable for me as a Chinese Canadian, who grew up straddling two cultures.
I think it’s a beautifully crafted, poignant story that will pave the way for Asians in film.
W&H: How are you adjusting to life during the COVID-19 pandemic? Are you keeping creative, and if so, how?
LW: I think, like most people, I was quite disheartened and sad at the beginning of the pandemic. I was really excited when we found out that our world premiere would be at Hot Docs and at the Bloor cinema, which is just around the corner from where my film takes place. I was really looking forward to watching the film with an audience, seeing their reactions, and having discussions about the issues raised in the film. I was hoping to have a festival run and get to screen at different festivals, but now we’re trying to figure out what that could look like during the pandemic. The pandemic also affected the sound mix, color grade, and online distribution of my film.
I’ve settled into a bit of a routine now, had some time to process, and am busy working on finishing my film remotely and working on some new projects.
