The shocking story of an American Sikh man murdered by xenophobic patriots after the World Trade Centre attacks is hitting close to home tonight, at the homegrown film’s Vancouver premiere.

Raj Paul Dillon, the Surrey-based journalist and filmmaker who produced and directed Sweet Amerika, said while it’s inspired by true events, the plot itself follows a fictional man who is tortured because he is Sikh.

He added that although the film is set in post-9/11 United States, the story of intolerance and immigrant life is applicable here.

“Canadians can get the same message as Americans (and) immigrants and mainstream Westerners, that racial profiling happens,” he said.

“But how do we have a dialogue and a debate and … get over the ignorance that create this violence and hate?”

He said that for the South Asian audience, the film provides acknowledgment that these things do happen and shows how they can unite and combat systemic discrimination. [Link]

"Who are the real Americans?"

It's a question asked in the tag line of the movie Sweet Amerika, filmed by Surrey's R. (Raj) Paul Dhillon and opening in theatres today (Friday).

The English-language drama focuses on a Sikh shop opener (played by Bollywood veteran Gulshan Glover), whose life in New York is rocked by the 9/11 terrorist attacks. A gang of thugs seeks revenge by taking the peace-loving Bobby (Glover) hostage and threatening horrible things, like hanging him in front of his grocery store and setting the corpse ablaze. [Link]