My favourite places: A local filmmaker’s guide to London’s parks and cycling trails | Canada Voices

Mark Lewis first arrived in London, England, as a lad in the 1970s to study fine art at the University of Westminster (then known as the Polytechnic of Central London). After graduating, the Hamilton-born filmmaker moved back home to Toronto.

Lewis lived in cities across Canada and the U.S., including Vancouver, Los Angeles and Boston, before moving back to Britain in 1997 to work at Central Saint Martins as a fine-art course director. He remained there for nearly three decades, eventually serving as director of the fine-art program.

His first foray into filmmaking was in the early 1990s, when a friend persuaded him to produce the documentary Disgraced Monuments, about the removal of statues in the former Soviet Union.

In 2009, he represented Canada at the Venice Biennale with Cold Morning, a trilogy centred on three modern landscapes in Toronto: Nathan Phillips Square, the view from the 54th floor of the TD Centre and a city sidewalk, observing how people interact with urban environments.

In 2014, he created Invention au Louvre, a trio of films commissioned by the Louvre Museum in Paris. The works focus on three pieces in the museum’s collection: il Sassetta’s Blessed Ranieri, Jean Siméon Chardin’s Child with a Top and the Venus de Milo.

Three years later, the Art Gallery of Ontario commissioned a solo exhibition, entitled Canada. Lewis shot the films for Canada around Gander International Airport in Newfoundland and the Don Valley Parkway and Scarborough Bluffs in Toronto. Through images of highways, abandoned factories and deserted beaches, Lewis reflected on the country’s history to mark Canada’s 150th anniversary.

His most recent exhibition, Snow, at Toronto’s Daniel Faria Gallery, featured films spanning his career.

Lewis met his wife, also a Canadian expat, while at Central Saint Martins. While falling in love with her, he grew fond of the city.

“London is not England,” he said. “It’s more like Toronto than it is like the rest of this country.”

The filmmaker enjoys the aspects of London that make it cosmopolitan: the waves of immigrants and mix of cultures that have shaped his neighbourhood of Kennington, on the south side of the River Thames, into a lively area filled with diverse food, cultures and people with stories to share.

His favourite way to see the city is through cycling, both solo and with his son. It’s become what he calls his North Star for location hunting.

“Cycling has been one of the most important things for my work in terms of discovering places,” Lewis said.

Kennington Park – A charming park with hidden history

“I’ve been coming to walk my dog at this park for years and it’s become a great place to meet a lot of interesting people. For a neighbourhood park, it’s large, and I’ve discovered it has a lot of great, hidden history. It was once a place for public executions. It was a well-used public square throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, and you can still see some of the remnants: placards, a flower garden and a historic cottage, Prince Albert’s Model Cottage. The cottage was built for the Great Exhibition in 1851, as a model for what housing estates with better living conditions could resemble for blue-collar families.”

Banook Bagels – A go-to spot for doughy treats

“Many people go on and on about Brick Lane bagels in London, but this spot is much better. Ashley Mah, a fellow expat from Nova Scotia, and David Dalrymple are making the kind of bagels that aren’t too sticky or damp like many others. They catered my son’s bar mitzvah, and everyone devoured the spreads. Their bagels and prepared foods make it worth the visit.”

Lower Marsh Street – An exhibit of London’s diversity

“This street is an unusual mixture of strange hotels, old-fashioned shops, modern coffee bars, a street market that sells vinyl and an abundance of ethnic street food. During the summer, movies are shown on the street. One of the fun, hidden parts is an underground pedestrian street passage – the Leake Street graffiti tunnel – where every inch is covered with painted text and images. It changes daily as artists add to it.”

Crystal Palace Park – A stellar view of the city

“This viewpoint is on the upper terraces of Crystal Palace Park, near the Crystal Palace railway station. It gives you great views north to Central London. The park itself has a boating lake, a market, a maze, life-size dinosaur models and an urban farm.”

Lee Valley Park – A cycling route through English counties

“My son and I recently discovered Lee Valley, a 26-mile-long park that runs through London, Essex and Hertfordshire. Much of it was restored as part of the development for the 2012 Olympics. It’s a magical riverside route with canals, locks and narrow boats that people live on full-time. There are many pubs to stop at en route. I only wish I had discovered it sooner.”

Special to The Globe and Mail