The Exiles (2022)

Documentary on a tumultuous upheaval for Indonesians in the year 1965. Suharto’s New Order seized control, with millions of communists, leftists and other sympathisers being massacred or jailed without trial. For many of those who were studying overseas at the time, it meant the beginning of a long exile.

They were left stateless for decades and denied any chance of return or of communication with their families. Even after the fall of Suharto, they are still far from being at home in Indonesia and subjected to ongoing harassment should they visit. Leading Indonesian actress and director Lola Amaria has made a brave and important film tracing this exile community, to cast light on a traumatic part of Indonesian history that many would prefer to sweep under the carpet. This is not only an important political document, but a moving portrait of a lost though dignified generation, rendered with great compassion. Filmed in six countries over several years, the film shows us the many who could not return home, their love for their homeland enduring till their last breath.

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