Private Project

Presence

Presence focuses on the contentious 45 year battle over the construction of a 2nd International Airport for Toronto that will destroy nearly 20,000 acres of the last best farmland in Canada. The film's director and narrator, Geoffrey Norris, investigates the Political & Economic connections surrounding the most corrupt company in Canadian history so as to uncover why his childhood home was demolished and discovers some startling revelations that span the globe.

  • Geoffrey Norris
    Director
  • Geoffrey Norris
    Writer
  • Kyle Lennan
    Producer
  • Geoffrey Norris
    Producer
  • Kevin Smith
    Producer
  • Geoffrey Norris
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature
  • Genres:
    Political, Transportation, Agriculture, Corruption
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 50 minutes 28 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 1, 2015
  • Production Budget:
    0 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Geoffrey Norris

Geoffrey Norris was born and raised in Canada - about thirty minutes north of Toronto. Growing up in the secluded countryside provided him with a great deal of free time to daydream and explore the natural world. During the brutal winters he was driven inside and encouraged by his mother and father to entertain himself through creative means. Cinema became a passion for Geoffrey from a very early age and he has committed himself to visual storytelling ever since.

Geoffrey studied and obtained a degree in history at the University of Toronto, before completing a degree in philosophy at the University of Windsor. During his time at UofT, special attention was paid to cinematic theory and its social impact on various cultures and while studying at Windsor, his interest shifted slightly away from the social context of motion pictures and he became more interested in the relationship between philosophy and film - especially the language of cinema and the function of non traditional narrative structure.

Currently Geoffrey resides in Toronto and is pursuing filmmaking as a career. PRESENCE is Geoffrey's first feature length documentary.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I am most interested in using cinema to open a dialogue and challenge viewers to reflect upon their role in the greater world. To me there is nothing more enjoyable than an entertaining story that also allows room for introspection.