1999 (FEATURE)

2009 | 101 minutes | Bagavan Productions

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1999 SYNOPSIS 

The movie 1999 is a sinuously provocative, edge-of-your-seat tale of friendship, betrayal and courage. Set against the city of Toronto in the year 1999, director Lenin M. Sivam chronicles the trials and tribulations of three young Tamil men. They have treaded very different paths in their lives yet their fates become inexorably tied to each other. A bright underachiever, the impressionable 23-year old Anpu lives with his ailing father, who is a no-nonsense disciplinarian. Trapped in a self-perpetuating cycle of isolation, Anpu finds salvation with a local gang. The charismatic gang leader Kumar who maintains a strong sense of comradely and a code of honour. Gang life is not something he enjoys nor something he chose, but circumstances forced him into it and he is waiting for the right moment to quit. And, far removed from them is an ambitious student Ahilan, who has managed to surmount enormous challenges in life through his positive outlook and determination. Former classmates and friends, Ahilan and Anpu happen to like the same girl. These young men’s stories couldn’t be more different, yet the one thread that links them all is that they all are victims of the brutal civil war in Sri Lanka. That fateful bright Saturday starts like any other, and no one could have predicted the chain of events that are about to quickly unfold that will change their lives forever.

 

Awards received:         

• 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

Cast

Suthan Mahalingam		Anpu
Thelepan Imman Somasegaram		Kumar
Kaandee Kana		Akilan
Ampalavanar Ketheeswaran		Suntharam
K. S. Balachandran		Akilan’s Grandfather
Madona T. Alphonse		Udumpan
Vince Jerad		Mathan
Deva Gasperson		Moddayan
Gobiraj Thiruchelvam		Kannan
Ajith Nagarajah		Nanthan
Jeron Thanabalasingam		Jeevan
Sutha Shan		Aavi
Anojan Thavaraja		Sathi
Mannoge Rajanan		Murali
Satheeskumar Ehamparam		Soonan
Visnumathan Vilvaraja		Maranai’s brother
Thavakumar Ketharanathan		Suganthan
Latheepan Tharmanathan.		Kiruban
Pathmini Rajanan		Selvi Acca
Sugunathan Mahendrarajah		Taxi Driver

 

 

 

Crew

Directed by 

Lenin M. Sivam

Written by

Lenin M. Sivam

Produced by

Sabesan Jeyarajasingam (executive producer)
K. K. Kaandee (producer) 
Malini Ponnambalam (producer)

Music by

Rajkumar Thillaiyampalam

Cinematography by

Sabesan Jeyarajasingam (director of photography) 

Film Editing by

Sinniah Arulshankar

Production Management

Ramesh Selladurai (production manager)

Assistant Director

Vince Jerad
Sutha Shan

Sound Designer

Michael Mohanruban

Movie Soundtrack Featured By

Lyrically Strapped -Toronto

Script Editors

S. Balachandran
Kethees Balasingam
Ketheeswaran Ampalavanar
Satheskumar Rajalingam
Sornalingam Vairamuthu
Sutha Shan
Thamba Tharmalingam
Vince Jerad
Yancy Nandakumar
Zhivago Sivam

Casting by

Nimalan Ponnambalam
Balesh Kandiah

Production Design by

Vince Jerad
Sutha Shan

Art Direction by

Sabesan Jeyarajasingam
Vince Jerad
Sutha Shan

Set Decoration by

Sabesan Jeyarajasingam
Vince Jerad
Sutha Shan

Costume Design by

Yancy Nandakumar
Nivetha Gunarathnam

Makeup Department

Valarmathy Ruban
Vanmathy Mathiyaparanam
Suriya Gunarathnam
Yancy Nanadakumar

Music Department

Priyantha (Flute – Sri Lanka)
Mahinda Bandara (Guitar – Sri Lanka)
Mohanaruban (Bass – Sri Lanka)
Shaluka (Bass – Sri Lanka)
Ratnam Ratnadurai (Percussions – Sri Lanka)
DD Gunasena (Violin – Sri Lanka)
Punithakumar (Additional Programing and Bass)