Streaming January 14-26, 2022
Digital Screening Room
Canada | 86 minutes | 2021
Shelter
US Premiere
Toronto was forever changed for the better when a group of resilient Jewish immigrants came to Canada in the first half of the 20th century. Shelter is the inspirational story of how these brave Jewish immigrants survived religious persecution in their homelands to build wildly successful real estate and land development businesses and help shape a growing metropolis by making it a refuge for all newcomers to Toronto. Forced into entrepreneurship by prejudice and circumstance, these new Torontonians started their businesses by buying land, building homes, and then reinvesting in the process. But they had a vision; they saw in the post-WWII real estate boom the need for affordable, quality, rental housing and instinctively knew that high-rise apartments were the answer. They knew that a healthy city provided shelter for all. Director Ron Chapman uses a compelling mix of stunning recreations, archival footage and photographs, and interviews with these groundbreakers and their families to tell this inspiring piece of Toronto's history.Director's Bio
Ron Chapman is an award-winning Toronto filmmaker. His feature documentaries have garnered acclaim worldwide and have aired on major networks and platforms. They include Who the F**K is Arthur Fogel featuring Lady Gaga, U2, The Police, Madonna, Rush, and key music industry insiders; The Poet of Havana with Carlos Varela, Benicio Del Toro, Jackson Browne; and The Forbidden Shore, an in-depth exploration of Cuba’s top musical artists.
