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part fiction, part documentary, part delusion,  PRESENCE began as a reaction to the building of an airport in pickering, ontario, canada.  writer, producer, director geoff norris spent his formative years on the expropriated lands of north pickering waiting for the day when the federal government would pave over the farmlands in favour of runways. armed with a digital camera, kyle lennan and geoff norris have undertaken the task of bringing the transformation of the land to light. at this moment, the decision of whether or not to build an airport is still up in the air, as a small faction of protestors are fighting valiantly to protect the vast terrain as green space.  however, the damage to the dwellings that once stood, and the people that once lived in north pickering, is already done. most of the houses have been demolished and the occupants relocated. 

 

the pickering airport is an issue that is sadly overlooked by the media, and often ignored by politicians. And though this film may not halt the construction, it can perhaps give us pause to reflect upon the actions of elected officials as land is developed and lives altered and we are once more thrust headlong into the industrial age.

 

 

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