The Art of Exile

As directors, we have long been captivated by the resilience and reinvention that artists in exile embody. Growing up in apartheid South Africa, Dara witnessed how musicians like Miriam Makeba, forced into exile, used their artistry to sustain resistance and inspire hope. For Veena, stories of exiled, censored, and imprisoned artists hold a special fascination because of their relentless drive to create despite overwhelming obstacles. Together, we are drawn to the bittersweet duality of exile: it is both a profound loss of home, family, and identity, and an opportunity for reinvention and connection with new audiences.

The Art of Exile series was born from our shared desire to celebrate the courage and creativity of artists who continue to defy censorship and oppression. We worked to bring the highest level of craft to these films, tailoring each one to reflect the unique process of the artist it features. From the low-fi animations inspired by Moath al-Alwi’s shipbuilding in A Ship from Guantánamo, to the vibrant illustrations animating Ahmed Naji’s censored novel, we sought to mirror their innovation in our filmmaking. For us, this series is also a call to action: to honor these brave artists by protecting the freedom of creative expression everywhere. We hope these films inspire audiences to recognize the transformative power of art in the face of adversity.