As crowds finally flocked back to the Toronto film festival after two years thwarted by Covid-19, Hollywood's top directors from Sam Mendes to Steven Spielberg put the escapism and collective experience of cinema in the spotlight with their latest films debuting at the event.
"American Beauty" and "1917" director Mendes on Monday premiered "Empire of Light," his new drama set at a 1980s cinema on the south coast of England, in which its employees battling mental health issues, extra-marital affairs and racism seek comfort in the silver screen, AFP said.
