Specially recorded Q&A with director Lawrence Valin!

THE LOYAL MAN, a riveting and romantic gangster thriller directed by audience favorite, French-Sri Lankan Lawrence Valin, is essential viewing for “Valin” fans. Following last year’s rave reviews for his sold-out opening night film LITTLE JAFFNA, 3rd i follows up with his first French-Sri Lankan Tamil film to immerse us in the gritty underworld of iconic Paris, France.

Valin adeptly performs double duty, acting and directing with aplomb. In the role of the character Aathi—an enforcer for the mob—he must confront his allegiance to his mob boss when he falls in love with a trafficked woman, Minale, who is under the boss’s control. Does loyalty matter more to Aathi than the cost of human life? Will Minnale gain her freedom from her enforced obligations?

Skillfully blending elements of the Western gangster genre with the vibrant aesthetics of South Indian cinema, Valin explores complex portraits of identity, displacement, and belonging within the Tamil community in Paris.

Preceded by the short film HOMEBODY

HOMEBODY / Shruti Parekh
(USA, 2026, 21 min, narrative)
Facing eviction after her mother’s death, a young artist searches for creative ways to defend her right to stay in her family’s Brooklyn apartment.