Exils


Exiles is a 2004 French film by Tony Gatlif. The film follows two young bohemians, Zano and Naima. After having sex, the two spontaneously decide that they will travel to Algeria, where Naima's parents come from, and where Zano's pied-noir parents were once exiled. Their adventurous journey to Algiers is full of character exploration, relationship hiccups and imagery. The film was also a homecoming for Gatlif himself, seeing him return to Algeria 43 years after he left.

Plot

The viewer is not intended to like nor dislike either character. Zano is meant to be brooding and profound to the point of being sulky, and world-hating and Naima wildly passionate to the point of appearing wanton and unstable; and both far too self-absorbed to care about either one or the other.
The pair travel from France, down through Spain toward Algeria but get lost many times along the way. They work as fruit pickers for a while, allowing for a naughty sex scene in the orchard.

Cast and characters

Gatlif won the award for Best Director at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.

Music

The film features original music by Tony Gatlif and vocals by Rona Hartner, who also performed in Gatlif's movie Gadjo dilo.