Sun Mar 4, 2018 – 12:00 pm | Domenico’s
Exiled
Directed by Mike Seely
Documentary Short
USA | 30 min | 2016
Exiled tells the stories of two deported US military veterans in Tijuana, Mexico.
These honorably discharged “green card” soldiers had already served out sentences for convictions in the US, only to be deported to their birth country. With sweat, tears and grassroots organizing, deported paratrooper Hector Barajas is on a mission to raise awareness about the deported veteran issue, and reunite with his 11-year-old daughter in Compton.
Mauricio Hernandez struggles with severe PTSD as a result of his time as a US soldier combat in Afghanistan, but stuck in Mexico, he has no access to the mental healthcare he is entitled to as a veteran. This film is a powerful and intimate look at the human consequences of current US immigration policies.
These soldiers who were willing to die for their country, are now fighting to be heard, and return to the US, the country they consider home.
Mike Seely
Director
Mike is a filmmaker and director of photography based in San Francisco. He has produced, directed and photographed several award-winning films, and has experience working on dozens of cross-cultural and international projects.
His work has been broadcast in the US and screened at festivals internationally including Slamdance, Tribeca, Toronto International Film Festival, and the San Francisco International Film Festival.
As a director of photography he has worked with various independent directors, as well as non-profit and broadcast clients such as National Geographic, MTV2, Frontline World, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
In 2005, he completed his MA in documentary film production at Stanford University, and for 2010 he received a Fulbright grant to work in Lodz, Poland on a project exploring the Polish documentary film tradition.
