Little Jaffna | thoughtful, thrilling undercover actioner

The La Chapelle district in Paris is known as Little Jaffna, and is home to a Sri Lankan diaspora, who escaped the murderous conflict on the island. It is the backdrop to the thoughtful, thrilling undercover action in Lawrence Vain’s film.

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The Little Jaffna neighbourhood, is located between the 10th and 18th arrondissements, and serves as a haven for new arrivals.

The community might have left the conflict behind geographically, but it hasn’t left them. Ripples are felt through the stories and lives and activity of the people involved. There are echoes of grief and anger. The past marks and shapes and puts dead ends to futures.

Director and writer Lawrence Vain takes the lead as rookie cop Michael with the charismatic calm of an outsider, drawn back into his cultural roots as he infiltrates the Killiz gang, which funds the Tamil fighters.

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For an undercover cop thriller that captures the rich urban hues of the city scape, there are moments that are tender and enlightening – the necessity of getting people out of a hell-hole of conflict and glib brutality of people trafficking.

But it’s the duality that takes centre stage. Michael lives a double life, hiding what he does from the grandmother who brought him up, and investigating the group that has taken him in, rekindling him to his Tamil culture.

The looming power of boss Aya (Vela Ramamoorthy) hangs over Little Jaffna, who displays both the bonhomie of an avuncular uncle and a murderous cricket shot. Right-hand hench Puvi (Puviraj Raveendran) is softly and strongly malign, loving too hard and ready to cut too deep.

There’s a wonderful web of identity: the gang has riotous fun at the cinema, and enjoys speeding with rap pumping through the sound system.

All of which enriches Michael’s deep, deep conflict.

“Little Jaffna is an infiltration film that aims to appeal to a wide audience,” said director Lawrence Vain.

“I present a context in which my character must survive while discovering his true identity throughout his journey and constructing the path he must take to exist among others. I am passionate about grand spectacles and am greatly inspired by filmmakers such as Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, and Michael Mann, who have shaped the kind of cinema I wish to champion. A cinema that aims to entertain without leaving the viewer indifferent to the world around them.”

“Little Jaffna is populated by men and women who have remained in the shadows for too long. With this film, I wanted to bring them into the light.”

Little Jaffna is out now…