Double It

Sparks, Natural and Dem, inseparable friends since childhood, travel to an affluent Toronto neighbourhood in hopes of selling a pair of rare sneakers to a prospective buyer. When the validity of their product is called into question, they’re forced to make a swift decision as tensions rise to a perilous boiling point.

  • Minas Adonai
    Director
    Iftin (2018) – Short Film, Mr. Nobody (2018) – short film, The Interview (2019) – short film, Daily Routine (2016) - Short film
  • Yodit Adonai
    Director
    Victor (2018)
  • Jamal Sanca
    Writer
  • Veronika Latkina
    Producer
    Worst Student Ever, Underneath The Empire
  • NEKÉ ANDEH
    Key Cast
    "NATURAL"
  • YAW ANTWI-BOASIAKO
    Key Cast
    "SPARKS"
  • DEMITRI GORDON
    Key Cast
    "DEM"
  • YI-JIN CHUN
    Key Cast
    "JIN"
  • HELEN WANG
    Key Cast
    "MAY"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes 43 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 4, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    20,000 CAD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English, Mandarin Chinese, Yue Chinese (Cantonese)
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Minas Adonai, Yodit Adonai

Minas Adonai and Yodit Adonai are Toronto-based creatives whose dynamic contributions span film and design. Minas, a director recognized for his storytelling, was selected as a fellow in the 2018 POV Film cohort, a prestigious filmmaking lab dedicated to nurturing underrepresented talent. His recent short films have been showcased at venues such as the Art Gallery of Ontario, Inside Out Film Festival, Silicon Valley African Film Festival, and more. Yodit, a multidisciplinary designer and director, brings a unique perspective to film through her diverse background in product design, art direction, visual arts, and animation. Her directorial work has been featured in Fashion Art Toronto and Lift-Off Global Network, while her role as art director includes collaborations on *The Interview* (2019) and *Mr. Nobody* (2018), projects directed by her brother, Minas.

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Director Statement

"Four Point Two" follows three friends from Toronto’s east end, as they try to navigate a world that often seems stacked against them.

As Eritrean immigrants who grew up in Toronto, the main characters are, in many ways, a reflection of us (Minas and Yodit), as opposed to an interpretation of a community. The story draws on our own experiences of coming of age in Scarborough, where we played a ton of basketball, met different types of people from various walks of life and cultural backgrounds, and expanded our worldview. Through the main characters we sought to explore a deeper issue that plagues the city - wealth inequality. Having had the unfortunate pleasure of knowing what it’s like to live in a shelter and low income housing, we were always fascinated by the stark differences in living conditions just a few blocks down. In the film we removed the zoning laws that divide the haves from the have-nots to see just how well these two groups can cooperate.

We used to think that this was a film about a group of friends led by the delusions of a charming optimist who is under the impression that he can turn some combination of suede and rubber into gold. But trying to tackle their experience of living in Toronto, we realized it’s a bout much more than that. To authentically depict Toronto means to keep the audience bouncing between reading Mandarin subtitles and keeping up with slang vernacular. The film takes the audience on a journey through different worlds –from an electric basketball court in the outskirts of the city to a serene downtown mansion.

The narrative of the film is driven by the differences between the characters and their backgrounds. The wealth gap between the two groups of characters is one that stirs the pot. While Natural, Sparks and Dem are eager to secure the deal of a lifetime and crave financial security, the couple are concerned with their elevated needs in Maslow’s hierarchy. This desperation for each of their needs begins to drive a wedge between them, and in the end, someone must either compromise or die for what they want. The question is, what will they do?