Naked CITY

Associate Programme Director,

Toronto Film Festival

Arriving in Fort Lauderdale from New York or Toronto is like stepping out of a cold shower into a hot tub. Your limbs go heavy, and your senses start to play tricks. Questions float up. Why can't I feel the breeze when I can see the palm trees swaying? Just repeat: be patient, be still, relax.

Water defines the land. Starting at a dazzling stretch of white sand and green Caribbean sea, the city radiates inland, its network of canals a dreamscape of the sunbelt lifestyle; Spanish-style bungalows, verdant tropical foliage, sleek cars, and white cabin cruisers moored at the foot of manicured lawns.

One of the pleasures of Lauderdale is doing things you would scorn elsewhere. At an airport sized mall surrounded by parking 'quadrants', I browsed for hours scouring an Italian suit at a giveaway price, and, for one dollar a ceramic salt and pepper shaker (boxed!) in the shape of a hamburger. You'll find a fantastic array of vintage clothing, collectibles, books, fine art and record stores. The existence of such treasure troves - plus events like an ambitious international film festival - belie the city's reputation earned during the era of Spring Break.

Revitalisation and rebirth are happening all around the area. Sport teams are making their home here, blockbusters are virtually everywhere and the sunshine abounds along the new Fort Lauderdale strip where curbside cafes are de rigeur. So in closing I salute Fort Lauderdale... In cooler parts of the world more may be less; but in the climate of South Florida, more is first of all more.