Bloor Hot Docs Cinema Screening Times:
Dec 26th @ 8:45pm, Jan 1st @ 2:00pm, Jan 14th @ 8:15pm

“I never thought about being a poet. I always wrote poetry. What did I have to think about? You don’t decide things like that. You do it.” – Al Purdy

Toronto can’t get enough of Al Purdy. Following sold-out screenings at TIFF 2015 and a successful Toronto opening, Al Purdy Was Here, Brian D Johnson’s portrait of the legendary Canadian poet, returns to the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema.

In Al Purdy Was Here, director Brian D. Johnson has crafted a cinematic and musical portrait of an artist driven to become a great Canadian poet at a time when the category barely existed.

Johnson’s debut feature documentary also captures a Purdy revival as a grassroots movement rallies to preserve his legendary A-Frame cabin as a writing retreat. Built by Purdy and his wife Eurithe in 1957 in Ontario’s Prince Edward County, the A-frame was a hangout for the pioneers of CanLit, including Margaret Lawrence, Margaret Atwood and Michael Ondaatje. In this rustic salon, nourished by Al’s wild grape wine, a cultural community took root. Now, 15 years after the poet’s death, the cabin becomes an unlikely beacon for a creative renaissance.

The is being released by Ron Mann’s filmswelike.

Please view Film Website for more information on the film.

– Originally Posted December 26, 2015.