Bob Walks TIFF (and Fails the Eye Test)

I didn’t actually watch any films at TIFF this year. Instead, I did what I do best: walked the streets, camera in hand, soaking in the buzz around the festival.

That’s when I stumbled onto what looked suspiciously like an eye exam planted right in the middle of King Street. A giant chart for The Eyes of Ghana stood there, daring me to test my vision. Naturally, Bob took the challenge.

The first few lines were fine: “THE EYES OF GHANA.” Piece of cake. But by the time I got to the tiny letters near the bottom, I was guessing more than reading. Let’s just say the letters didn’t quite match what I saw.

As luck would have it, I had a real eye test booked for Monday. Sure enough, the optometrist confirmed what TIFF had already shown me on the street: Bob needs new glasses.

So, while other people walked away from TIFF with star sightings and stories of standing ovations, I walked away with a prescription for stronger lenses. Not exactly a world premiere, but at least now I’ll be able to see the streetcar before I accidentally photograph it as modern art.