| 1999 | |
| Director: | Lenin M. Sivam |
| Starring: | K. S. Balachandran Ampalavanar Katheeswaran Suthan Mahalingam Thelepan Somasegaram Kaandee Kana Deva Gasparson Vince Jerad Sutha Shan Madona T. Alphonse Mannoge Rajanan Gobiraj Thiruchelvam |
| Music: | Raj Thillaiyampalam |
| Cinematography: | Sabesan Jeyarajasingam |
| Producer: | Sabesan Jeyarajasingam Jeya Subramaniyam |
| Editing: | Arul Shankar |
| Studio: | Khatpanalaya Production Inc Bagavan Productions |
| Runtime: | 101 minutes |
| Country: | Canada |
| Language: | Tamil |
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 the 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,[1] [2] was one of the top 10 Canadian films at Vancouver International Film Festival,[3] and received the Midnight Sun Award at the 2010 Oslo Tamil Film Festival.[4] The film addresses the topic of crime in Toronto[5] by "exploring the rivalry between two gangs" in the city.[6]
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 # | Song | Singer(s) | Lyrics | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Mozhi" | S P Balasubramaniam | Sutharshan | |
| 2 | "Angel" | Karthik / Lyrically Strapped | ||
| 3 | "Malare" | Tippu / Harini | Sutharshan | |
| 4 | "Struggle" | Lyrically Strapped | Lyrically Strapped | |
| 5 | "Nenjathai" | Tippu / Prashanthi | ||
| 6 | Angel Remix | Lyrically Strapped | Lyrically Strapped | |
| 7 | 1999 Theme | Instrumental | Instrumental |
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."[7]
The film was described by Variety as the director's "breakout first feature (...) set on Toronto’s late ‘90s Sri Lankan gang scene."[8]