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The average size of condo units for sale in Toronto gets a bit smaller every year; as the price of land goes up, something must come down to keep the units affordable. We hear again and again from people who have grown up in generously proportioned homes in the suburbs that they couldn't imagine living in such small spaces. There are those who can, however, and not only in the core of big cities: these people are part of the Tiny House movement, and they are building in cities, suburbs, and out of town and off the grid.
Tiny: A Story About Living Small, as you can see from the photo above, is clearly not about living in a dense urban setting like Toronto, but it has great resonance for people in this city nevertheless. While UrbanToronto types discuss the ever decreasing average size of a condo for sale here, people engaged in the Tiny House movement are talking about homes with all the essentials—and really just the essentials—that take up only 150 square feet or so. The spaces are often ingeniously laid out, but beyond just how one fits everything in to tiny spaces, Tiny Housers ask themselves just what can they do without in their homes anyway.
The film follows Christopher Smith, an American living in Boulder, just hitting 30, and contemplating what he wants to do with his next 30 years. Christopher and his girlfriend Merete set about the task of building a tiny house—on wheels—and moving it high into a stunning setting in the Rockies. We also meet many other 'Tiny Housers' who live in a variety of contexts and hear about what these homes have meant to their lives. In an age where the average suburban home—and debt—has doubled in size over the last few decades, it's fascinating to consider the flipside of the square-footage coin. You'll certainly come out of the film with a new appreciation of all the things you could do with spacious 550 square foot pad in Downtown Toronto.
Tiny screens with "Home", a brilliant short from New Zealand that also contemplates the meaning of the word. The two films play TODAY at 4 PM at the Scotiabank Theatre, and Sunday May 5 at 1:30 PM at the Revue on Roncesvalles. Totally worth checking out!
