Folks, I want you to take a good look at today’s picture because you will not be seeing another one like it again — at least from my hand.

It was made out Hope way and shows cinematographer Erik Daarstad, camera in hand, being detained before he could hop a freight train to some unknown clime. I know it is painful to see the look of consternation and defeat on the face of a person who has so freely shared his time and talents with our town.

We can only hope the photo will act as a reminder of the pain well meaning people can inflict while thinking they are doing good. Here is what I mean. Some time ago, some of us banded together with one cause in mind, keep Erik home. Every place he went he would hear, “stay, Erik, stay.”

Little did we realize what a terrible mistake that was until we attended the recent showing of “Sing China!” at the Little Panida Theater. It was at this time that we realized that if Erik never left town we would not be able to enjoy his wonderful films. That night at the Panida turned into a time of confession, and a new goal was adopted. The next time you see Mr. Daarstad around town, please say, “go, Erik, go.”

This afternoon, and tonight, we have the opportunity to have, “A Visit with Erik” at the Panida’s Little Theater. He will present a film that has become a classic, The Exiles. Below, he shares some interesting information about the movie, its beginning, the dormant years, and its recent rise to great acclaim. 

Erik Daarstad:

“The Exiles started back in the late 1950s. Kent Mackenzie, who produced and directed the film, and all the rest of us who worked on it, had been friends in college and had gone to film school together. Kent became interest in the subject after reading an article in Harpers Magazine about the attempt to take land from the Indians.

“In the 1950s, the government started a relocation project that was designed to get Native Americans to move from the reservation to the large cities. Kent was looking for a story to tell about the re-location when he met a group of young Indians who lived in the Bunker Hill district of Los Angeles. He spent a considerable amount of time cultivating a friendship with the Indians before they agreed to be in the film that would tell about 12 hours in their lives on a Friday night in LA. The actors in the film play themselves, none were professional actors.”

“We started shooting in 1958 and finished shooting about two-and-a-half years later because of financial difficulties. The film was finished in 1961 and played at film festivals in this country and in Europe. It won an award in Germany and it was well received at various colleges in the U.S.

After a few years, it was forgotten until about four years ago when a clip from the film was used in another documentary. Because of that clip, people re-discovered The Exiles. UCLA (University California Los Angeles) restored the film, made new prints, and it opened at the Berlin Film Festival about two years ago. It also opened in theaters across the country that same year and received great reviews. It played in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, and all the major cities across the country. It has played in many smaller communities and it has been seen by many Native Americans. Sherman Alexie, from the Spokane Reservation, saw the film several years ago and he became one of the presenters of the film.”

There will be a matinee at 2:30 p.m. and the evening showing is at 7:30 p.m. I know you will enjoy this thought provoking film. There will be an opportunity for your questions at the end of the presentation. See you there.

“MIRACULOUS … the night photography alone would make the film immortal.” Richard Brody, “The New Yorker”