Hats off to writer/director Ian Harnarine for creating Doubles With Slight Pepper, a powerful family drama that delves on the deep conflict between father and son.
Set in rural Trinidad, the movie follows the story of Dhani, a young street food vendor who sells doubles—Trinidad’s famous street food. Days before Christmas eve, Dhani’s estranged father comes home from Canada with a rare illness. The young vendor is now torn if he’ll save the life of the man who left him and his mother.
The film transforms the quaint rural town into a cradle of revenge, love, and forgiveness. The illness of the father and Dhani’s anger adds depth to this three-of-a-kind conflict between mother, father, and son.
The story utilizes doubles as much as it could. It became the main reason why the father left and was also the key player to resolve the father-son conflict.
The blend of contrasting, well-established characters was also a treat to watch. Dhani’s silent, pessimistic nature tones down his father’s slick-talking charm and wit.
One thing that amazes me is the ability of this film to capture so much intensity within a short span of time. Scene after scene, Doubles With Slight Pepper embraces family values, tradition, and love in a classic, well-polished manner. It’s been a while since I’ve seen such a high quality short.
Doubles With Slight Pepper has garnered several awards since its release such as Best Short Film (Toronto International Film Festival 2011), Best Live Action Short Drama (Genie Awards 2012), Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film, to name a few. It is currently in the process of being adapted to a full-length feature film.
Related Links:
Doubles With Slight Pepper’s Official Website
Doubles With Slight Pepper on Facebook
Doubles With Slight Pepper on iTunes
Ian Harnarine on Vimeo
Ian Harnarine on Filmmaker Magazine