two movies for one price. Details at www.bloorcinema.com

The Toronto Public Space Committee Presents:
CANADIAN PREMIERE
CONTESTED STREETS:
BREAKING NEW YORK CITY GRIDLOCK
(Stefan Schaefer, Denmark/France/USA/UK, 2006) Exploring the rich diversity of New York City street life prior to the introduction of the automobile and, a century later, looking at how we can learn from London, Paris, and Copenhagen in reclaiming our streets as vibrant public spaces.Through extensive interviews with prominent public space activists, Schaefer makes a powerful argument that even in America's arguably most carchoked city, there is a burgeoning progressive movement that is coming together to reclaim the streets for pedestrians. The London segment focuses on how that city's mayor, "Red" Ken Livingstone, imposed car tolls in the city centre in a drastic (some would say draconian) bid to reduce pollution and congestion. The method may have been controversial but the results are incontrovertible. Paris, meanwhile, has taken the idea of car-free days and given them a unique Gallic twist with summer-long events like Paris Plage, where entire roadways are turned into pedestrian beaches. In Copenhagen, bicycles are the answer with dedicated bikeways and, perhaps more importantly, an ingrained bike-centric traffic culture. 56 min.

Screening with: CANADIAN PREMIERE
A CONVERSATION WITH ENRIQUE PENALOSA
(Clarence Eckerson Jr., USA, 2006) An interview with Enrique Peñalosa, the former mayor of Bogota, Colombia. Conducted by NYCSR's Mark Gorton, the interview reveals Sr Peñalosa's tireless dedication to introducing bicycles and bicycle culture to his city. An important sidebar to Stefan Schaefer's film, offering a distinctly South American big-city perspective to what is often thought of as North American big-city problem.FILMMAKER IN ATTENDANCE 12min $9 Oct. 26