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1999 (film)

2009 film by Lenin M. Sivam


Summary

2009 film by Lenin M. Sivam

FieldValue
name1999
image1999movieposter.jpg
caption1999 international poster
directorLenin M. Sivam
writerLenin M. Sivam
starringK. S. Balachandran
Ampalavanar Katheeswaran
Suthan Mahalingam
Thelepan Somasegaram
Kaandee Kana
Deva Gasparson
Vince Jerad
Sutha Shan
Madona T. Alphonse
Mannoge Rajanan
Gobiraj Thiruchelvam
musicRaj Thillaiyampalam
cinematographySabesan Jeyarajasingam
producerSabesan Jeyarajasingam
Jeya Subramaniyam
editingArul Shankar
studioKhatpanalaya Production Inc
Bagavan Productions
released
runtime101 minutes
countryCanada
languageTamil

Ampalavanar Katheeswaran Suthan Mahalingam Thelepan Somasegaram Kaandee Kana Deva Gasparson Vince Jerad Sutha Shan Madona T. Alphonse Mannoge Rajanan Gobiraj Thiruchelvam Jeya Subramaniyam Bagavan Productions 1999 is a 2009 Canadian Tamil-language crime drama film written and directed by Lenin M. Sivam. It had its world premiere at the 2009 Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF).

The film explores a Toronto Sri Lankan gang scene in the late 1990s. With a time frame that spans less than 24 hours, it attempts to delve deep inside the Tamil gang community. It opens with a shooting that results in the end of a peace treaty between two rival gangs in Scarborough. With investigators closing in and rival gang members out for revenge, 1999 maps out the toll that gang participation takes not only on the individual, but the direct impacts it has on family and community.

The film received the CBC Audience Choice Award at the 2010 ReelWorld Film Festival, was one of the top 10 Canadian films at Vancouver International Film Festival, and received the Midnight Sun Award at the 2010 Oslo Tamil Film Festival. The film addresses the topic of crime in Toronto by "exploring the rivalry between two gangs" in the city.

Cast

  • Thussanth as Anpu
  • Thelepan Somasegaram as Kumar
  • Kaandee Kana as Ahilan
  • Ampalavanar Ketheeswaran as Suntharam
  • K. S. Balachandran as Ahilan's grandfather
  • Madona T. Alphonse as Udumpan
  • Vince Jerad as Mathan
  • Deva Gasperson as Moddayan
  • Gobiraj Thiruchelvam as Kannan
  • Ajith Nagarajah as Nanthan
  • Jeron Thanabalasingam as Jeevan
  • Sutha Shan as Aavi
  • Anojan Thavaraja as Sathi
  • Mannoge Rajanan as Murali
  • Satheeskumar Ehamparam as Soonan
  • Visnumathan Vilvaraja as Maranai's brother
  • Thavakumar Ketharanathan as Suganthan
  • Latheepan Tharmanathan as Kiruban
  • Pathmini Rajanan as Selvi Acca
  • Sugunathan Mahendrarajah as taxi driver

Soundtrack

The soundtrack of 1999 was composed by Raj Thillaiyampalam except for tracks "Struggle" and "Angel Remix", which were composed by Hemo from Lyrically Strapped. It was produced by Lenin M. Sivam.

Track #SongSinger(s)Lyrics
1"Mozhi"S P BalasubramaniamSutharshan
2"Angel"Karthik, Lyrically StrappedRaj Thillaiyampalam
3"Malare"Tippu / HariniSutharshan
4"Struggle"Lyrically StrappedLyrically Strapped
5"Nenjathai"Tippu / PrashanthiRaj Thillaiyampalam
6"Angel Remix"Lyrically StrappedLyrically Strapped
7"1999 Theme"InstrumentalInstrumental

Production

The film, "an exploration of Tamil youth gangs that once fought in the streets of Scarborough, was informed by the director’s interviews with ex-gang members and youth workers."

The film was described by Variety as the director's "breakout first feature (...) set on Toronto’s late ‘90s Sri Lankan gang scene."

Awards and recognitions

  • CBC Reel Audience Choice Award, ReelWorld Film Festival in April 2010
  • Best Film Award (Midnight Sun), Oslo Tamil Film Festival in February 2010
  • Top 10 Canadian Films, Vancouver International Film Festival in October 2009
  • Official Selection, Toronto Tamil Studies Conference in May 2010
  • Best Feature Film Award, Toronto Independent Art Film Society (IAFS) in June 2010
  • Official Selection, University of Toronto Cinema Studies Student Union (CINSSU) in March 2010
  • Official Selection, York University Centre for Asian Research (YCAR) in September 2010
  • Part of the 'Best Features' Showcase, Toronto 2010 Moving Image Film Festival (MIFF) in October 2010
  • Official Selection, Swiss South Indian Film Festival (SSIFF) in October 2010
  • Official Selection, Illankai Tamil Sangam (ITS) in November 2010
  • Official Selection, Canadian Tamil Film Festival (CTFF) in January 2011
  • Official Selection, London Happy Soul Festival (HSF) in June 2011
  • Best Feature Film Award, Chennai Ulagayutha International Tamil Film Festival (CUITFF) in July 2011

References

References

  1. "Awards". reelworldfilmfestival.
  2. (2010-04-02). "'1999' film selected for ReelWorld Film Festival {{!}} Lanka Reporter".
  3. "Award Winning Director Lenin M. Sivam".
  4. Shankar, Settu. (2010-02-15). "Canadian Tamil film 1999 won in Norway festival". OneIndia.
  5. (2022-01-02). "Crime Film and the City: Imagining Toronto through Entanglements of Place, Culture, and Crime". American Review of Canadian Studies.
  6. Das, Sonia N.. (2016-10-27). "Linguistic Rivalries: Tamil Migrants and Anglo-Franco Conflicts". Oxford University Press.
  7. (2013-08-20). "Scarborough filmmaker Lenin M. Sivam's movie at Montreal World Film Festival".
  8. Hopewell, John. (2022-07-19). "Alarm Pictures Closes North America on Lenin M. Sivam's 'The Protector' (EXCLUSIVE)".
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