OUTSOURCED - Mar 27, Quadra Community Centre, 7:45
USA-2008
Todd manages Western Novelty’s order-filling call centre where they “sell kitsch to rednecks.” When he learns that his department is being outsourced to India, he staves off unemployment by accepting a contract to travel there and train his replacement. OUTSOURCED follows Todd to Mumbai for some serious fish-out-of-water office management.

Todd’s introduction to India is marked by endless cups of sweet tea and polite enquiries of “What is your good name, please?” But the film is too frank to rest on stereotypes. When Todd lands at his company’s half-built office, he meets young Indians mystified by Americans’ desire to buy Burger Branders and plastic Cheeseheads. With a little help from an employee, Todd learns to embrace his new surroundings, marshal the team and get the job done.

Outsourcing has become an all-too-familiar phenomenon, usually not a comedy, but the combination of a smart script, agile direction and winning performances make OUTSOURCED a guaranteed hit.