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Lawrence Valin’s debut feature ‘Little Jaffna’ to premiere at Venice Film Festival

Published

2 years ago

2024/09/1

Lankan descent French filmmaker 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, said a report published by Variety.

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 country from 1983 to 2009.

Valin 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 F mis 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 say 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 deep 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 handles international sales.

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News

Delegation from Korean Volunteer Association meet Secretary to the President

Published

3 hours ago

2026/10/13

Priyan

A special delegation led by Deokuju Jung, President of the Korean Volunteer Association for Distinguished Service to the State, met Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake at the Presidential Secretariat on Monday (12) afternoon .

The discussions focused extensively on welfare programmes the association expects to implement in Sri Lanka and the support it hopes to obtain from the Government of Sri Lanka for these initiatives.

Attention was also given to the proposed implementation of a comprehensive programme in collaboration with the Government to support children with special needs in Sri Lanka.

The meeting was also attended by Ven. Wanawasi Rahula Thero, Founder of Namal Uyana and Chief Incumbent of the Namal Uyana Forest Monastery, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Roshan Gamage and Korean Volunteer Association representatives Jungsun Choi, Junyoon Lim, Chaeeun Kim and Wonwook Choi.

[President’s Media Division]

News

HRCSL issues recommendation on seizure of four books by B. Piratheepan by Sri Lanka Customs

Published

5 hours ago

2026/10/13

Priyan

The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) issued its recommendation in Case No: HRC/KIL/031/26 concerning the decision of the Director General, Sri Lanka Customs to seize
four books authored by B Piratheepan.

The books ‘Ippothum Inge Irandu Thesangalthaan’, ‘Elluttal Nan Yuttam Ceykiren’, ‘Bayangaravaathi’, and ‘Cyanide’ are Tamil language books printed in Chennai, India, and were imported to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Customs seized the books on 27 March 2026 and had informed the Complainant that they would only be released upon obtaining approval from the Ministry of Defence.

Following an opinion issued by the Arts Council of Sri Lanka and the State Literary Sub-Panel, two of the books, ‘Bayangaravaathi’ and ‘Cyanide’ were released on the basis that the experts on the Council had concluded that these books were works of fiction. Copies of the remaining two books ‘Ippothum Inge Irandu Thesangalthaan’ (75 copies) and ‘Elluttal Nan Yuttam Ceykiren’ (147 copies) were not released and remained under detention.

At the conclusion of its inquiry, the Commission noted that none of the Respondents wished to take direct responsibility for the continued seizure of the remaining two books. It observed that
the handling of the matter was marked by indecision and opacity at every stage.

Sri Lanka Customs purported to act under section 135, read with section 12 and Schedule B of the Customs Ordinance, which authorises it to prohibit ‘Any newspaper, pamphlet, leaflet, book or picture containing matter calculated to lead to acts made punishable under section 120 of the Penal Code’.

Relying on the recent judgment of the Supreme Court in Mohamed Razik Mohamed Ramzy v. Officer-in-Charge, Criminal Investigation Department & Others SC (F.R) No. 135/2020, the Commission found that intent remains an indispensable element of section 120 of the Penal Code and that this mental element is reinforced in Schedule B to the Customs Ordinance by the inclusion of the term ‘calculated’.

The Commission accordingly observed that both causation and intent, which are necessary features of individual culpability, must be established for a person to face legal consequences in terms of section 120 of the Penal Code.

The Commission concluded that the 1st Respondent must be of the reasonable opinion that these elements of individual culpability, causation and intent, are present in a given case to justify the permanent seizure of any publication. However, the 1st Respondent had not demonstrated that he had reached such an opinion.

The Commission observed that, while the impugned content in the Complainant’s two books (e.g. allegations that the Sri Lankan military had attacked civilians, and allegations that the
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna supported violence) may be classified as ‘shocking’, even ‘offensive’ to some, or ‘disturbing’, there is no evidence to suggest that the impugned passages
were calculated to excite disaffection against the state, promote feelings of ill-will between communities or bring about any other harmful outcome listed in section 120 of the Penal Code.

The Commission reiterated that section 120 of the Penal Code concerns expressions that are directly inciteful and have the capacity to influence large portions of the population to act in a
harmful manner. It found that the impugned passages in the two books merely contain sentences that make allegations, which may prompt reflection among some readers, and which may be dismissed by other readers. They, in the opinion of the Commission, lack the potency expected of content that was likely to ‘excite disaffection’ or ‘promote ill-will’. It found that the continued seizure of the two books, which acted as a form of prior censorship of its contents, is both unnecessary and disproportionate in terms of meeting the legislative aims found in section 120.

The Commission also noted that the contents of these two books were claimed to already be in the public domain and had previously featured in Tamil language newspapers.

Therefore, the Respondents had not demonstrated how such content had thus far contributed to disaffection or promoted feelings of ill-will between communities. In this context, the Commission was unconvinced that the limitation in question is reasonable and concluded that the 1st Respondent’s continued seizure of the two books ‘Ippothum Inge Irandu Thesangalthaan’ and ‘Elluttal Nan Yuttam Ceykiren’ authored by the Complainant violated his right to the freedom of expression including publication guaranteed by article 14(1)(a) of the Constitution.

The Commission separately found that the sequence of events, and the explanations provided by the Respondents, indicated that the language of the Complainant’s books, i.e., the Tamil
language, was pivotal to their seizure. It observed that several state institutions that encountered these books treated them with prejudice and suspicion, which would not have been afforded to books of another language. Given that the Complainant’s two books have remained in detention for a prolonged period, i.e. more than six months, with no formal procedure, the Commission found a violation of article 12(1) of the Constitution. It also found that the actions of the 1st
Respondent were discriminatory on the basis of language, and violated his right to non-discrimination on the grounds of language guaranteed by article 12(2) of the Constitution.

Commenting on the application of article 14(1)(f) of the Constitution, the Commission found that Tamil-speaking people are a linguistic minority in Sri Lanka who enjoy the protection of both article 14(1)(f). The Commission recalled that the marginalization of Tamil-speakers throughout Sri Lanka’s post-independence period has been one of the root causes of the country’s ethnic conflict. Therefore, state functionaries should be particularly sensitive to the implications of treating Tamil language publications with prejudice. The Commission recognized that the essence of the freedom to promote one’s own culture and to use one’s own language is that citizens should have autonomy over the cultural and literary content they wish to produce or consume. The state should not interfere with this freedom except in very limited circumstances governed by article 15 of the Constitution.

Accordingly, it found that the 1st Respondent, through the continued seizure of the Complainant’s two books ‘Ippothum Inge Irandu Thesangalthaan’ and ‘Elluttal Nan Yuttam Ceykiren’, violated his fundamental right to the freedom to enjoy and promote his own culture and to use his own language.

In the circumstances, the Commission recommended that the 1st Respondent forthwith release from detention all copies of the two books titled ‘Ippothum Inge Irandu Thesangalthaan’ and ‘Elluttal Nan Yuttam Ceykiren’ authored by the Complainant.

News

Presidential pardons: Govt. studying Justice Thurairaja’s recommendations – Minister

Published

11 hours ago

2026/10/13

Sahan Weerasooriya

Thurairaja / Harshana

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara said yesterday that the Cabinet was studying a set of recommendations made by a Committee, led by retired Supreme Court judge Sithambarampillai Thurairaja, PC, regarding a systematic, fair and transparent mechanism for granting presidential pardons to convicted prison inmates.

Attorney-at-law Nanayakkara said so when The Island raised the issue in the wake of the ongoing controversy over prison authorities compelling General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) Ven. Galadodaaththe Gnanasara to wear civilian attire when produced in court.

The Minister declined to elaborate but said the Cabinet of Ministers was yet to reach consensus on the recommendations. The NPP government, on 25 June 2025, appointed Thurairaja’s committee to study the provisions of the Article 34(1) of the Constitution, along with other statutory acts and judicial rulings.

Justice Thurairaja handed over his report to Justice and National Integration Ministry Secretary Ayesha Jinasena, PC.

The other members of the Committee were Deputy Minister of Mass Media Dr. Kaushalya Ariyarathne, Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Justice and National Integration Piyumanthi Peiris, Additional Solicitor General Nerin Pulle, Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) Legal Asanga Karawita, Chairperson of the Bureau of Rehabilitation Professor Wasantha Subasinghe, Specialist Dr. Chiththahari Abayanayake, former Acting Commissioner of Prisons Nishan Dhanasinghe, Acting Commissioner General of Prisons Prasad Hemantha Kumara, Senior Assistant Secretary (Legal) to the Ministry of Justice and National Integration Roshani Hettige, and Senior Assistant Secretary to the Ministry of Justice and National Integration Chandima Welikala.

The government called for guidelines regarding presidential pardon over a year before the Supreme Court rescinded, in September this year, the presidential pardon granted by Maithripala Sirisena to Ven Gnanasara serving a six-term of rigorous imprisonment for contempt of court. That pardon was granted in May 2019, the third controversial release by Sirisena during his presidency.

President Sirisena pardoned an ex-LTTE terrorist and also the Royal Park murderer Don Shramantha Jude Anthony Jayamaha, in 2016 and 2019, respectively. The Supreme Court, in June 2024, annulled the pardon granted to Jayamaha and ordered his arrest though he still remains free having fled overseas no sooner he was granted the pardon.