Q

Filth City takes inspiration from Rob Ford to tell a story about power

Director Andy King and actor Pat Thornton explain how the 2013 Rob Ford controversy inspired their latest film, Filth City.
Actor Pat Thornton as Mayor Tom Hogg in the film, Filth City. (Brendan Adam-Zwelling)

"Everyone's congratulating me on getting threatened," Andy King says, with a laugh.

The reason for the onslaught of online threats against King and comedian Pat Thornton is their latest film, Filth City. The movie, which uses the same "ripped from the headlines" strategy Law & Order is known for, takes the story of former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford as a springboard into an exaggerated tale of politics, drugs and crime. 

Filth City's Andy King and Pat Thornton with Tom Power in the q studios in Toronto, Ont. (Melody Lau/CBC)

But as King notes: "We used it as a metaphor for power gone crazy [...] It's a satire on the abuse of power over anything else." 

Watch the trailer for Filth City below. Filth City closes the Canadian Film Fest in Toronto on Sunday, March 26. For more information, head over to their website