A scene from the film
- “They may be pissed off about this movie, but at least they're paying attention to it.”
- —Seventeen Minutes director Charlie Gustavson, reponding to the controversy surrounding the film
Seventeen Minutes was a popular film about the 2165 CE theft of the painting The Uplifter by the legendary thief, Jackson Brumas. The movie's name itself was in reference to the time it took Brumas to infiltrate the Citadel Tower and steal the painting. The film was directed by Charlie Gustavson and starred Francis Hermann.
It was released on October 17th, 2175 CE, coinciding the tenth anniversary of the painting's theft. It became the most successful film in five years, earning 1.8 billion credits. It also received much critical acclaim, earning over three dozen movie awards.
However, the movie received much negative criticism from alien species, mainly the asari, who banned it in asari space and viewed it as an outrage that portrayed a tragedy positively. Several groups even attempted to sue, however they all failed. In response to the asari's claims, 35 percent of funds raised by the movie were donated to helping find The Uplifter, which in the end was a pointless endeavor.