Dheepan

Dheepan

Year: 2016

Runtime: 115 min

Language: Tamil

Director: Jacques Audiard

DramaCrime

Fleeing a war-torn Sri Lanka, a former freedom fighter, along with a woman and child, assume new identities and seek asylum in Paris. Hoping for a peaceful life, Dheepan finds himself struggling to leave his violent past behind. However, the challenges of adjusting to suburban life and facing unexpected dangers force him to confront his ingrained warrior instincts and fight to protect his new family.

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Timeline – Dheepan (2016)

Trace every key event in Dheepan (2016) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

The Final Days of War

Sivadhasan, a soldier of the Tamil Tigers, faces the grim reality following the defeat of his faction in the Sri Lankan Civil War. As the conflict comes to a close, he grapples with the trauma and uncertainty of his future.

Final days of the Sri Lankan Civil War Sri Lanka
2

Seeking Refuge

In search of safety, Sivadhasan seeks refuge in a camp where he contemplates his next steps. Faced with the urgent need for a new start, he devises a plan to escape to France and establish a new life.

Refugee camp
3

Assuming a New Identity

To facilitate his asylum application, Sivadhasan adopts the identity of Dheepan Natarajan, a deceased individual he never knew. He recruits strangers to pose as his family, including Yalini, who pretends to be his wife, and Illayaal, their supposed daughter.

4

Journey to Paris

Sivadhasan boards a ship bound for Paris with Yalini and Illayaal, embarking on a hazardous journey marked by uncertainty and fear. Their new family unit is fragile, built on deception as they flee their troubled past.

Ship to Paris
5

Life in Le Pré

Upon arriving in Paris, Sivadhasan secures a job as a caretaker in a run-down housing project known as Le Pré. However, the environment proves to be hostile, dominated by local drug dealers and violence that make their situation precarious.

Le Pré, Paris
6

Facing New Dangers

The danger escalates as rival gangs engage in violent confrontations within the project. Yalini and Illayaal are left to cope with their fears, struggling to adjust to their roles in this chaotic setting.

Le Pré, Paris
7

Yalini's Job Offer

Under immense pressure, Yalini is tempted with a job offer as a maid for the father of a drug lord, putting her in a morally challenging situation. This offer amplifies the tensions within the household as they navigate their new lives.

Le Pré, Paris
8

Getting Drawn into Conflict

Despite his attempts to maintain a normal life, Sivadhasan becomes embroiled in the drug-related violence surrounding them. As tensions rise, he realizes that his past experiences may not allow him to remain a passive caretaker.

Le Pré, Paris
9

Engaging in Gunfight

In a critical turn of events, Sivadhasan is caught in a fierce gunfight that forces him to awaken his dormant combat instincts. Armed with limited weapons, he engages in a remarkable display of skill as he takes down an entire gang.

Le Pré, Paris
10

Rescuing Yalini

During a heart-stopping rescue mission, Sivadhasan confronts the brutal reality of Yalini's situation. He bravely intervenes to save her from the clutches of her employer, navigating through a scene stained with violence and despair.

Drug lord's apartment
11

Escape to England

After the harrowing ordeals in Paris, Sivadhasan, Yalini, and Illayaal make a decisive move to escape to England. Their journey marks a significant step towards finding genuine peace and security away from the turmoil they faced.

From Paris to England
12

A New Beginning

As they settle into life in England, Sivadhasan, Yalini, and Illayaal strive to create a new beginning for themselves. The challenges they faced in Paris are now just memories as they work towards a brighter future.

England

Last Updated: November 16, 2024 at 18:26

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Movies about warriors in exile like Dheepan

Refugees and exiles find their combat skills are needed in their new home.If you liked Dheepan, you'll appreciate these films about refugees and former fighters forced to use their violent pasts to protect their new families. These stories explore the tension between seeking peace and being compelled to fight, often set against the backdrop of immigration and urban danger.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative follows a protagonist with a violent history—a soldier, freedom fighter, or criminal—attempting to assimilate into a peaceful society. Their past is a secret burden, but when a new threat emerges from local crime or systemic oppression, they must choose between maintaining their cover and unleashing their dormant skills to defend their new community or family.

Why These Movies?

Movies in this thread share a core conflict: the inability to outrun one's past. They blend the emotional weight of displacement and the struggle for a normal life with the high-intensity tension of latent violence suddenly becoming necessary. The pacing often builds slowly towards an explosive confrontation.

Movies about found families like in Dheepan

Strangers thrown together by circumstance become a real family under pressure.Discover movies similar to Dheepan that center on found families created by necessity. These dramas explore how strangers, often immigrants or survivors, build profound relationships while facing shared trauma, crime, and the struggle for survival, resulting in a deeply protective bond.

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Narrative Summary

The story revolves around a group of people—often loners, orphans, or refugees—who are forced to pretend to be or accidentally become a family unit. Through shared struggles against a hostile environment, crime, or poverty, their fabricated relationship transforms into genuine, fierce love and protection, becoming the central emotional anchor of the film.

Why These Movies?

These movies are grouped by their heavy emotional focus on non-biological kinship. The 'family' dynamic is the core, born from survival needs and strengthened through shared trauma. The tone is often somber and tense, with a pacing that allows the relationships to develop authentically before being tested by high-stakes conflict.

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Dheepan Summary

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Dheepan Summary

Characters, Settings & Themes in Dheepan

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Dheepan

Dheepan Spoiler-Free Summary

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Dheepan Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Dheepan

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