BRAD PRITCHARD
March 26, 2010
Gangs, the allure of easy money, domestic abuse, culture shock; these are some of the issues explored in the film 9 Dollars and 50 Cents, which depicts the journey of two Tamil youth in Scarborough as they grapple with a series of events over period of 24 hours.
The film is going to be screened at the Scarborough Town Centre Cineplex Coliseum on Saturday, March 27, at 10:30 a.m., and film director Rangith Joeseph said the movie unveils problems that are having a detrimental affect on both the Tamil and greater community.
He said more and more Tamil teens are skipping school to go loiter in the neighbourhood, where they meet shady people who make them offers difficult to refuse.
“When they hang out at local coffee shops or other places, gangsters offer them jobs with the promise of making good money,” said the 31-year-old director, who has worked in both Toronto and India on previous projects.
“This is where they get into trouble, and it’s happened to me.”
There are other issues explored in the film include child abuse, which Joeseph said is a taboo subject amongst Tamils.
The movie took about six months in preproduction, and it was shot last August over a nine-day period across Scarborough and other parts of Toronto.
It was also produced in collaboration with the Canadian Tamil Youth Development Centre, which helps Tamil youth integrate into Canadian society.
He said the story in 9 Dollars and 50 Cents not only conveys important messages, but it also showcases the up-and-coming talented youth in the Tamil community in Toronto, which is the largest population outside of Sri Lanka.
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I hope the message gets out to parents,” he said, adding they should keep tabs on where their kids spend their time on a regular basis. “One day, life might drag them in the wrong direction.”
As for what the movie title means, Joeseph says people will have to come watch the movie to find out.
For more information, visit www.nine50themovie.com
Tags: 9 Dollars and 50 Cents, 9.50, News, Rangith Joeseph, Scarborough, Scarborough Town Centre Cineplex Coliseum, Tamil youth
