Lawrence Valin‘s feature directorial debut “Little Jaffna” is set to make its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. The first clip has been unveiled from the film.
The film, which Valin also co-wrote and stars in, explores the Tamil diaspora experience in France through the prism of gang culture in the area of central Paris known informally as Little Jaffna, named after the capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It is set against the backdrop of the Sri Lankan civil war, which ravaged the island nation from 1983 to 2009.
Valin, a French-Tamil filmmaker, developed the project after his experiences acting in and directing short films. His journey to “Little Jaffna” was influenced by his involvement with Jacques Audiard’s Cannes Palme d’Or-winning film “Dheepan” (2015), which also dealt with the Sri Lankan Tamil experience in France.
“I got the audition to pass the casting for ‘Dheepan’ for the main role,” Valin told Variety. “When I passed the audition, I was like, ‘Okay, this is a life chance to work with Jacques Audiard, one of the best French directors.’ I love his work.” However, after three months, Valin was offered a background role instead of the lead. “I was like, ‘Man, I passed the audition for the main role… and I said, ‘No, thanks.’”
This experience proved pivotal for Valin’s career trajectory. “After that I started to think that I have to direct. Otherwise I cannot play, I cannot have any role or character, and I was okay, ‘I’m going to write and I’m going to direct.’ That film influenced me to be a director. That’s the link for me,” Valin said.
Valin’s acting experiences in France also highlighted the limited opportunities for actors of Tamil descent. “All the time, when I get some casting stuff, it’s like, you have to play the Indian,” Valin recounted. “And I was like, I’m just not Indian. I’m French too.” He even went to the extent of learning English with an Indian accent to secure roles in French films, a practice that left him feeling frustrated with the industry’s stereotypical portrayals.
Before embarking on “Little Jaffna,” Valin honed his directing skills with two short films. His first, also titled “Little Jaffna” (2018), was his graduation project from the La Fémis film school. For this project, Valin worked with Jesuthasan Anthonythasan, the lead actor from “Dheepan.” “He already had the experience with Audiard, and it was very easy for me to direct him, because he understood everything very quickly,” Valin said.
While the first short was budgeted at €25,000 ($27,800) and had a 21-minute running time, the second, “The Loyal Man,” was a more ambitious 41-minute film with a budget of €250,000 ($278,000). “You have the pressure going with that, because more money, more pressure,” Valin noted. The film was selected for Clermont-Ferrand, where Valin won best actor.
For the feature “Little Jaffna,” Valin aimed to create a film that would resonate with both Tamil audiences and a broader international viewership. “If you’re making a film [only] for Tamil people, just a few people will look at it,” Valin explained. “I need to put the war in a way to make everyone understand what is going on.”
The director enlisted established Indian actors Radikaa Sarathkumar and Vela Ramamoorthy for key roles, noting their experience brought valuable depth to the characters. The film was made with the support of the French Sri Lankan Tamil community who took the project seriously when Sarathkumar’s participation was confirmed, Valin said. “When I met Radikaa ma’am, it was just clear she wanted to do [it] without any money,” Valin added. “She played the character of my grandma, my real grandma. I give her the photo of my grandma, and she changed her way to be exactly like my grandma.”
However, Valin decided not to cast Anthonythasan. “Sadly, I didn’t want him to be in this film, because everyone will say ‘Dheepan’ and ‘Little Jaffna’ because these are the only two French films [about] Tamil people,” Valin said. “People will always talk about ‘Dheepan’ [and] its effect. And I say, ‘Okay, I have to do something that it’s not, you don’t have to think about that.’”
While the film is set in 2009, Valin intentionally avoided specifying dates to emphasize the ongoing nature of the issues depicted. “People are still suffering there in Sri Lanka,” he said. “It’s important to tell that people are still suffering there, and we remember them.”
Valin’s approach to filmmaking is deeply personal and hands-on. He not only directs but also acts in his films, a method he believes creates a stronger connection with his cast, many of whom are non-professional actors. “It’s my way of directing. It’s to be in the heart of the creation with the other actors,” Valin explained. “Most of my actors are non-professional actors. They are very scared at the beginning, and I’m saying, ‘Man, I’m with you. I’m scared too. We are going together.’” Valin broke his wrist during the first week of shoot and worked through the pain.
The filmmaker hails from a Sri Lankan Tamil family and his journey reflects his dual identity as both French and Tamil. “The film is about identity, and I know that it’s deeply in my story,” Valin said. He sees “Little Jaffna” as a way to bridge his two cultures without having to choose between them. The director’s cinematic influences are also deeply rooted in Tamil cinema and he cites superstar Rajinikanth and Vijay as his acting inspirations.
“Little Jaffna” closes Venice’s Critics’ Week and is next headed to Toronto where it is part of the Centrepiece program. Charades is handling international sales.
Watch the clip here:
