The Ruskin Art Club, The Levan Institute for Humanities and Ethics (USC), and the USC School of Cinematic Arts presents: “THE EXILES” AND THE CHALLENGE OF POVERTY: A Screening and a Conversation
Featuring Ron Austin, one of the film’s producers, in conversation with Dr. Lyn Boyd-Judson, director of the Levan Institute. Screening followed by conversation and Q&A.
“The Exiles,” a feature-length documentary portrayal of Native Americans living near LA’s Skid Row provides a remarkable glimpse into the daily reality of their lives. Filmed in the late 1950s, “The Exiles” reflected the growing alienation of many young Americans at the time. From the perspective of more than half a century, “The Exiles” raises still-pertinent questions about the nature of contemporary urban poverty. The loss of community, of stable relationships now even more endemic than it was in the 1950s, these portrayals may help us redefine the poverty around us in broader and more meaningful terms than simple economic deprivation. Now deemed a “classic” by the Library of Congress, “The Exiles” is also celebrated as a notable cinematic achievement of the period and an early example of what came to be known as cinema verite.
You are invited to join Ron Austin, one of the film’s producers, in a post-screening discussion of the film and its many implications.
Ron Austin, a veteran writer and producer, is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; twice honored by the Writers Guild of America, he served for several years on the faculty of the USC School of Cinematic Arts. He is currently the president of the Ruskin Art Club.