Little Jaffna

Young French police officer of Tamil descent infiltrates a criminal gang with links to the Tamil Tigers, in a relentlessly exciting, complex, and colourful debut.

When newly graduated police officer Michael is assigned to infiltrate a gang in the Paris district of "Little Jaffna," he sees it as an opportunity to be accepted as a full-fledged Frenchman. In addition to their illegal activities, the gang raises money for the Tamil Tigers' resistance struggle in Sri Lanka. However, the path isn't as straightforward for Michael as he expected. Besides the danger of being exposed, he must deal with a growing sense of belonging and loyalty—to the old tiger leader Aya, his associate Puvi, and to his own background. Director Lawrence Valin plays the lead role himself, delivering a classic nail-biting thriller, spiced with ethnographic elements and Tamil film influences.

• Camilla Larsson