Two Questions

Inevitably, post-TIFF conversations involve being asked two questions:

- What did you see? (this blog is primarily an attempt to provide an answer to this question)
- Who did you see? (although given my interests, providing a list of who I saw would produce little in the way of recognition and many more questions. The biggest "star" I saw this year was probably Steve Coogan).

I was thinking about the latter on the weekend while reading the obituary of the actor Jackie Burroughs, who died earlier this month. Aside from appearing in a number of films that made an appearance at TIFF, Burroughs was a near constant presence in lines and theatres for many years.

In my early pilgrimages to the festival, it wasn't unusual to see several Canadian celebrities lining up to see films. Besides Burroughs, I remember seeing Geddy Lee and Bruce McCulloch at TIFF screenings.

That seems to happen a lot less now, although for what reason(s) I have no idea.