EMPz 4 Life
2006 Canadian film
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EMPz 4 Life is a 2006 Canadian documentary film, directed by Allan King.[1] Made in conjunction with writer Joseph Jomo Pierre, the film profiles a small group of Black Canadian youths living in the troubled Toronto neighbourhood of Malvern, who are enrolled in an after-school math tutoring program run by social worker Brian Henry in an effort to keep them in school and not out on the streets.[2]
| EMPz 4 Life | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Allan King |
| Produced by | Allan King |
| Cinematography | Mark Ellam |
| Edited by | Nick Hector |
| Music by | Chris Ellis |
Production company | At Home in the Hood Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 113 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
The film takes its title from graffiti in the neighbourhood, referring to Empringham Drive.[1]
The film premiered on September 9, 2006, at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival,[3] but was distributed primarily as an episode of TVOntario's documentary series The View from Here in February 2007.[4]
It was King's final film, as his planned next film was in production but not completed at the time of his death in 2009.[5]
Awards
The film was a shortlisted nominee for the Donald Brittain Award, and Mark Ellam was nominated for Best Photography in a Documentary Program or Series, at the 22nd Genie Awards in 2007.[6] The film was also shortlisted for the Directors Guild of Canada's DGC Award for Best Documentary Film.[7]
Impact
The film received renewed attention in 2025 as the subject of a possible "curse", as several of the youths from Henry's program who appeared in the film are now dead or in prison.[8]
