Virtually unseen for nearly fifty years, the restoration and reissue of The Exiles was one of the greatest revelations of the 2000s, presenting a vital treasure that demands further rediscovery. Shot in striking black and white, the film serves as an energetic and captivatingly realistic portrait of one night in the lives of a group of Native Americans across Los Angeles’ Bunker Hill district. From long hours of conversation and friend-making, filmmaker Kent Mackenzie enlisted the community to play themselves and re-enact scenes from their lives, crafting a level of intimacy and authenticity rarely seen on screen.
