PROJECT SUMMARY
LOGLINE
mi.cro.cosm the documentary (mi.cro.cosm) chronicles the ever-changing eco-system of Toronto’s Gay Village, its diverse history, sexual revolution, transformation of local businesses, and the beauty of gay culture, since its heyday in the 1970s. It authentically presents various sexual, cultural, economic, and social perspectives, undesirable and favourable, held by those integral to and associated with the Village.
WHY IT MATTERS
mi.cro.cosm authentically immortalizes gay culture in Toronto during an epoch of cultural expression and economic transformation. It presents various perspectives about the Village’s historical and contemporary milieu, enabling authentic expression from LGBTQ2S bodies. Reflecting its era, mi.cro.cosm details the journeys of LGBTQ2S racialized individuals navigating race and sexuality plus immigrants fighting for a better life.
SYNOPSIS
People, their complex narratives, and the crucial spaces they occupy drive mi.cro.cosm. Village residents; immigrants who escaped sexual persecution; people of colour who continually navigate the intersectionality of race, condemnation, identity, sexuality, and true happiness; and black LGBTQ2S people who still fight for the primacy of their lives. To others, do their lives really matter?
Space within the Village,occupied by all these people, and for everyone connected with it, is quickly disappearing.
Retrospection.
Dating back to the Village’s apex in the 1970s, mi.cro.cosm explores the Village’s significance, tracing its unparalleled history, to gay culture throughout Toronto and Canada. Neighbourhood bars create inclusive spaces, bathhouses provide an atmosphere for sexual exploration, local restaurants are a haven for LGBTQ2S bodies, and bookstores enable us to read and learn about ourselves and our exploits. Within this progressive eco-system, unbreakable bonds were forged, and a community of unbiased sexual identification surfaced, willing to assist those who face transgressions. In tandem with the Village’s growth, drug culture thrived, mental illnesses increased, and STIs spread. Nevertheless, the Village prospered as a mecca of inclusion and tolerance.
Revolution.
Today, the challenges of the Village continue to evolve, i.e., extensive local businesses closing, increasing condominium development, the rapid loss of inclusive gathering spaces, and shifting social landscapes. Considering these challenges, mi.cro.cosm underscores exceptional narratives that defy odds, intrigue, shock, exude resilience, and are influenced by the Village’s social degradation. Renaissance. mi.cro.cosm traverses the unique intersection of storytelling, expression, and sometimes defiance to emphasize the importance of art, in its abundant forms, to gay culture. Iconic murals on Church Street reflect our culture, while drag challenges the status quo.
Renaissance.
mi.cro.cosm traverses the unique intersection of storytelling, expression, and sometimes defiance to emphasize the importance of art, in its abundant forms, to gay culture. Iconic murals on Church Street reflect our culture, while drag challenges the status quo.
Evolution.
As an ecosystem of inclusion, the Village welcomes all people. Therefore, each entity and person has an authentic voice about its historical and contemporary milieu, including business people and residents, allies and foes, medical and NGO professionals, drag queens and kings, trans persons and non-binary individuals, all other people on the spectrum of sexuality, people of colour, and more. mi.cro.cosm captures perspectives from sexual, cultural, economic, and social lenses. Each perspective provides insight into how various people think about and meet the provocative changes of the Village.
WHY IT WILL SUCCEED
An all-encapsulating documentary chronicling the milieu of the Village has never been done. The Village is ripe with history, and the perspectives of those associated with it, and its changes, must be recorded and shared with a COVID induced world to nurture connectivity.