''Exile'' (french: Exil) is a 2012 Canadian drama film, directed by
Charles-Olivier Michaud
Charles-Olivier Michaud is a Canadian writer, director and producer from Saint-Romuald, Quebec
Saint-Romuald is a district within the Les Chutes-de-la-Chaudière-Est borough of Lévis, Quebec, Canada, located on the south shore of the Saint L ...
Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
who is left alone after his father is kidnapped by government forces; learning that his mother whom he had long been told was dead is in fact still alive and merely ran off to the United States, he embarks on a quest to find her, and is helped by various "guardian angels" as he travels to
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at th ...
,
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...
and
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...
in his search.Brendan Kelly, "Haitian boy searches in silence; Protectors watch over him in quest to find mother". ''
Montreal Gazette
The ''Montreal Gazette'', formerly titled ''The Gazette'', is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Three other daily English-language newspapers shuttered at various times during the second half of th ...
'', June 27, 2014.
The film's cast also includes
Paul Doucet
Paul Doucet (born 1970) is a Canadian actor known for his portrayal of Jean Duceppe in ''Jean Duceppe''.
Early life
Doucet was born in Montreal, Quebec in 1970. He studied drama at the Université du Québec à Montréal.
Career
His most ...
Stephen McHattie
Stephen McHattie Smith (born February 3, 1946)Other sources cite 1945, 1947, and 1948. is a Canadian actor. Since beginning his professional career in 1970, he has amassed over 200 film and television credits. He won the Genie Award for Best Sup ...
, Maxime Dumontier and Ralph Prosper, and includes narration by writer and broadcaster Stanley Péan.
Brendan Kelly of the ''
Montreal Gazette
The ''Montreal Gazette'', formerly titled ''The Gazette'', is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Three other daily English-language newspapers shuttered at various times during the second half of th ...
'' reviewed the film favourably, writing that although the film's plot posed possible
suspension of disbelief
Suspension of disbelief, sometimes called willing suspension of disbelief, is the avoidance of critical thinking or logic in examining something unreal or impossible in reality, such as a work of speculative fiction, in order to believe it for ...
problems in the way Samuel is continually protected in his journey, the film was clearly meant to be seen as an allegory for Samuel's passage into manhood.
The film premiered at the
Abitibi-Témiscamingue International Film Festival
The Abitibi-Témiscamingue International Film Festival (french: Festival du cinéma international en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, FCIAT) is an annual film festival, which takes place in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada.Sean Gordon"How one region in hard- ...
in 2012, before opening commercially in June 2014.
Michel Corriveau
Michel Corriveau (born June 29, 1962) is a Canadian composer of film and television scores from Quebec. He has received multiple nominations and awards throughout his career for Canadian and international films and TV productions
Biography
...
received a
Jutra Award
The Prix Iris is a Canadian film award, presented annually by Québec Cinéma, which recognizes talent and achievement in the mainly francophone feature film industry in Quebec.Best Original Music at the
17th Jutra Awards The 17th Jutra Awards
The Prix Iris is a Canadian film award, presented annually by Québec Cinéma, which recognizes talent and achievement in the mainly francophone feature film industry in Quebec."Xavier Dolan domine les nominations aux Jutra" '' Métro'', January 26, 2015.