Exile and the documentary style of filmmaking

Displacement from one's homeland is among the worst tragedies that can happen to men and women. They are forced to start again in a different country, often without knowledge of the language and the culture, frequently enjoying less rights than the local inhabitants. Their families are torn apart, their social network of acquaintances severed, and their opportunities for work or having a career reduced due to a minimum. But all the challenges and difficulties stemming from such condition are not without upsides. For once, it allows for the exercise of artistic freedom and creativity, and the opportunity, even if minimal, to have artistic freedom. Many filmmakers in exile tend to use their situation as a subject matter, both because it is a topic very dear to them, and because they are in a unique position to make a statement. It is often presumed that the documentary style of filmmaking is the more efficient means to achieve this, as it demands from the audience to be taken seriously, unlike fictional works. However, this is not always the case, as documentary films tend to have a restricted circulation among a much-reduced audience. Also, there is no. In this article, I will explore the creative responses filmmakers found to the exile situation in their work; then I will briefly discuss how the documentary style of filmmaking may or may not help reach their objectives; and finally, I will make an argument towards developing a particular style of filmmaking, that can be called "exilic filmmaking".