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.
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.
The film, "an exploration of Tamil youth gangs that once fought in the streets of Scarborough, was informed by the directorâÂÂs interviews with ex-gang members and youth workers."
The film was described by Variety as the director's "breakout first feature (...) set on TorontoâÂÂs late âÂÂ90s Sri Lankan gang scene."