Amnesty

Dhananjaya Rajarathnam was born in Batticaloa Sri Lanka. It's the jewel of the East known for its fire walkers, tongue-piercers and silver beaches where you can put a reed to your ear, lean down from your paddle boat, and hear the music of the fish.

But now Dhananjaya is just Danny, sitting on a Sydney train, a Turbo Model E Super Suction power vacuum strapped to his back on his way to his next cleaning gig.

For the last 4 years he's worked at becoming invisible. As an illegal in Australia he minds his posture, never spits in public and works to eliminate the tics of his mother tongue. But now, privy to key information that might solve a recent murder, Danny must wrestle between staying quiet and staying in Australia or going to the police with what he knows and face the threat of deportation.

Danny has spent his time in Australia paying keen attention and now, in the single day recounted here, the city is sending him signals. Street signs, store windows, radio snippets and even his own phone send cryptic messages, singing an urban key.

Meanwhile he has to contend with the killer himself, verbally sparring back and forth over the phone. He offers up an easy out, speaking up has never led to anything good for Danny, a cigarette burn on his forearm a testament to his past inability to pay attention to the rules around him. Danny is, and has always been, a faker - a fake citizen in Australia even a fake vegan to his girlfriend. Staying quiet means staying safe.

An examination of illegals making their way in the world, hidden in plain sight - wrapped up in a tight little crime thriller.