Cinema Retro has received the following press release from The British Film Institute:
On 15 February, the BFI releases Kent Mackenzie’s 1961 film The
Exiles. Deeply affecting and utterly convincing, this remarkable film
chronicles one night in the lives of a group of young American Indians living in
the Bunker Hill district of Los Angeles.
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Based entirely on interviews with the participants and their friends, the
film follows this group of exiles – transplants from Southwest reservations – as
they flirt, drink, party, fight, and dance. With its vivid, high-contrast black
and white photography and soundtrack by The Revels, Kent Mackenzie’s gritty,
no-frills depiction of this marginalised Los Angeles community draws comparisons
to John Cassavetes, Charles Burnett and Vittorio De Seta.
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Finally made available on DVD in the UK for the first time, it’s packed
with extras including a feature commentary and short films.