Warren Brown

From 1933 until 1941, as totalitarianism took hold in Germany and Italy, hundreds of scholars, intellectuals, and artists fled Europe for AmericaThe story of these emigres, many of whom found safe haven in the United States, is the subject of The Exiles. Recapturing an extraordinary chapter in twentieth-century life, this compelling documentary chronicles the most significant rescue of oppressed artists and intellectuals in modern times and highlights their far-reaching contributions to culture and scholarship in their adopted country.Divided into two hour-long segments, The Exiles spans nearly six decades of Euro-American history. Its chronology begins with the pre-World War II conditions that first prompted the emigres to leave their homelands and concludes with their present-day reflections about mankind's future. For insights into the refugee experience, the film interweaves candid recollections of surviving exiles with those of individuals who aided in their escape. Friends, colleagues and cultural historians describe how these Europeans left their indelible mark on a wide range of academic disciplines and fields of endeavor.This richly detailed account of the quest for intellectual and artistic freedom also draws on a wealth of period footage and archival material, combined with evocative reenactments of major rescue efforts that brought the exiles to the United States. A dramatic reading of emigre poet Hans Sahl's work 'We Are the Last Ones,' which punctuates the opening and closing of the program, underscores the currency of its subject for the latter part of our century.

From 1933 until 1941, as totalitarianism took hold in Germany and Italy, hundreds of scholars, intellectuals, and artists fled Europe for AmericaThe story of these emigres, many of whom found safe haven in the United States, is the subject of The Exiles. Recapturing an extraordinary chapter in twentieth-century life, this compelling documentary chronicles the most significant rescue of oppressed artists and intellectuals in modern times and highlights their far-reaching contributions to culture and scholarship in their adopted country.Divided into two hour-long segments, The Exiles spans nearly six decades of Euro-American history. Its chronology begins with the pre-World War II conditions that first prompted the emigres to leave their homelands and concludes with their present-day reflections about mankind's future. For insights into the refugee experience, the film interweaves candid recollections of surviving exiles with those of individuals who aided in their escape. Friends, colleagues and cultural historians describe how these Europeans left their indelible mark on a wide range of academic disciplines and fields of endeavor.This richly detailed account of the quest for intellectual and artistic freedom also draws on a wealth of period footage and archival material, combined with evocative reenactments of major rescue efforts that brought the exiles to the United States. A dramatic reading of emigre poet Hans Sahl's work 'We Are the Last Ones,' which punctuates the opening and closing of the program, underscores the currency of its subject for the latter part of our century.