Charlotte's Castle follows fight to save historic Toronto apartments amid skyrocketing real-estate market, at VIFF Centre November 3 to 16
Colourful cast of renters organizes against a foreign-owned developer to save cultural landmark, in a story that hits home in Vancouver

Charlotte’s Castle screens at VIFF Centre from November 3 to 16
SPADINA GARDENS TENANT Charlotte Mickie says it “hurts her soul” to see a developer push ornate leaded-glass windows out of a dining room suite to crash on the ground. And if you consider that a similar affront to beautiful old architecture—or your taste tends toward nostalgic knicknacks and overstuffed bookshelves over cold white minimalism—you’ll find Jamie Kastner’s new documentary a compelling portrait of a vivid little community under threat.
Spadina Gardens, built in 1904, is a graceful, red-brick apartment, surrounded by highrises in Toronto’s Annex neighbourhood. It’s a heritage-architecture lover’s dream, complete with original pocket doors, 14-foot ceilings, ceramic-tiled fireplaces, and full dining rooms. The rental is populated with art collectors, jewellery-makers, and other colourful characters who fill their units to the brim with paintings, sculptures, settees, and books—an aesthetic that’s the polar opposite of that of the Dutch company who’s just bought the building, and plans to blow out walls, rip out mouldings, and bring in the sleek lines of open-concept luxury condos.
They don’t know who they’re dealing with. Kastner captures the residents’ fight against developers, vying for heritage status and protesting changes inside and out. Along the way he tells the human stories behind the doors of a complex that once housed a recently divorced Maureen Forester and her unruly teen brood, and a publisher who hosted literary ’dos with the likes of Salman Rushdie, Ian McEwan, and Gabriel García Márquez.
Rich with urban history, the low-key doc is a treat for those who harbour a soft spot for an old Toronto that's starting to disappear. At the same time, the story will feel achingly familiar to Vancouverites feeling the squeeze of rocketing real-estate prices and watching beautiful old rental buildings and cozy bungalows cleared for glass condo towers, while affordable, livable rentals are impossible to find. Charlotte's Castle might "hurt your soul" too, but it might also give you hope that even a ragtag bunch of retirees and creatives can take on city hall.
Janet Smith is cofounder and editorial director of Stir. She is an award-winning arts journalist who has spent more than two decades immersed in Vancouver’s dance, screen, design, theatre, music, opera, and gallery scenes. She sits on the Vancouver Film Critics’ Circle.
Related Articles
Moonlight, Tehran: City of Love, and more explore themes of loneliness, belonging, and desire in program curated by Fay Nass
Ahead of a special live-scored screening, the renowned photographer and director reflects on “liminal spaces” and gore-filled supernatural encounters
Mr. Nobody Against Putin takes an urgent look at Russian indoctrination; Spare My Bones, Coyote! finds horrors at the U.S. border; Eight Postcards From Utopia runs weird commercials from free-market Romania; and more
In Have You Heard Judi Singh?, Vancouver director interweaves archival footage, re-created moments, and mesmerizing music in tribute to late Punjabi-Black artist
Montreal filmmaker Denis Côté started out making a portrait of a shy BDSM worker and ended up capturing a generation’s encounter with the endless recursions of social media
In NFB documentary, Lyana Patrick chronicles the environmental harm caused by the Kenney Dam
A panel discussion with workers and community advocates takes place after the VIFF Centre screening
Mareya Shot Keetha Goal: Make the Shot won a spot as best B.C. feature, plus much more as Surrey-based event hands out cash and development support
Moving from architectural marvel to frozen cabin, the film mixes bitter humour with a poetic fugue fuelled by familial trauma
Vancouver director Ben Immanuel drew from his acting students’ real experiences to craft a funny and poignant collaborative film that was years in the making
Program includes Vancouver premieres, returning classics, and a tribute to Tracey Friesen and free screenings on National Canadian Film Day
New paraDOXA initiative will highlight experimental films like To Use a Mountain
Director Mahesh Pailoor and producer Asit Vyas tell the impactful true story of a young man diagnosed with terminal cancer
In Aisha’s Story, a Palestinian matriarch uses food for generational healing, while Saints and Warriors follows a Haida basketball team
Event presented by SFU School for the Contemporary Arts features a screening of In the Garden of Forking Paths
First-time film actor Keira Jang takes a leading role in Vancouver director Ann Marie Fleming’s dark “satire” about a bucolic post-collapse future that comes with a catch
Stunning cinematography and a compelling story make documentary about freediver Jessea Lu a breathless watch
At The Cinematheque, Nanos Valaoritis’s memories of a long life in poetry are like a museum you never want to leave
Program includes Boy on a Dolphin, The Travelling Players, On the Waterfront, and more
Sepideh Yadegar’s film tells the story of an Iranian international student photographed at a Women, Life, Freedom protest in Vancouver
The series presents 14 titles by the master of nonfiction film, rarely seen in the cinema
Housewife of the Year unpacks a long-running Irish TV show, while There’s Still Tomorrow follows a working-class Italian woman in the 1940s
Director Sepideh Yadegar’s debut feature follows Iranian international student Sahar as she stands up for women’s rights in Vancouver
At Vancity Theatre, Christopher Auchter’s film takes us back to the 1985 protest that led to a historic win
La Femme Cachée faces buried trauma; En Fanfare celebrates the power of music; and Saint-Exupéry tells an old-style adventure story
Sweeping biopic returns with nostalgic songs and atmospheric cinematography
Second-annual event opens with Mahesh Pailoor’s Paper Flowers and closes with Enrique Vázquez’s Firma Aquí (Sign Here)
A Real Pain’s Jesse Eisenberg and Anora’s Sean Baker among international award-winners to send in acceptance videos for event at VIFF Centre
At The Spirit of Adventure opening event, the film “The Beginning” captures the Squamish resident’s record-breaking feat at Goat Ridge
Korean-born, B.C.-raised filmmaker’s Maple Ridge-shot first feature centres around a Korean family struggling with grief