Angels in Exile (Billy Raftree, 2013): South Africa

Reviewed by Mitchell Schena. Viewed at the Metropolitan 4, Santa Barbara.

Angels in Exile is an extremely powerful documentary that follows the lives of the young youth living on the streets in South Africa depending on each other for survival. Looking at each other as “family” by sharing their food,blankets, etc. as well as providing protection to those who need it. This film displays the life not many get to see, the life that many should in order to help create change. Durham, the city in South Africa where they live, is a vicious place where crime and poverty go un noticed. Charlize Theron, who was gracious enough to act as the narrator, is also an active fighter for the cause to change lives and create futures for many who never dreamed of living off the streets. The director, Billy Raftree, does an incredible job of portraying the day to day life and struggle just to survive on the streets. Resorting to drugs as an escape from reality, most if not all of the homeless children living on “the streets” sniff glue in order to get a high that apparently makes them feel “warm on the inside and not hungry.” Said to be the only way of survival, glue is one cause of why most of the youth continue to return to the horrible life on the street.

Zuleka, a 15 year old girl who feels more comfortable living on the street than at home with her cousin, is a strong independent female who keeps returning to her boyfriend who she is apparently in love with. Suffering from being diagnosed positive with H.I.V, Zuleka decides she wants to keep her sickness hidden from her cousin and wants to fight it alone. While conversing with her cousin, a horrible past of being brutally raped by her family member causes tears to be shed by Zuleka just by reminiscing on the tragedy. This serves as an example of the past that these young kids are running from, trying to escape from memories that torture them daily. Raftree goes back to the US and eventually returns to Durham 8 months later only to discover that Zuleka is pregnant and is unaware of who the true father is. Still living on the streets, Zuleka is determined to give her child the life Zuleka never had, saying her child can “do something” with their life. A touching moment to see someone so young acting so mature. She goes through great struggles and challenges in order to ensure her child has a safe birth and hopefully doesn’t get infected with Zuleka’s H.I.V. After a perfect birth, Zuleka acts as a strong supportive mother only focused on taking care of her child. However, once again returning to streets leaving her daughter behind, Zuleka displays the addiction the the life that she knows is below her.

Raftree also followed the young male Ariel on his daily routine. No shocker to discover Ariel lives on the streets as well and gets his fix of “glue” on the regular very similar the majority of kids there. Slanging dope and getting in fights, Ariel acts as a stereotypical thug who ran away from home to escape from his past and live the only life he knows. Ariel is a good kid who says he no longer cares about his family, says that his friends on the streets are his only family. Following him back to his home, we find out that Ariel is running from his grandfather who would viscously abuses him due to the fact that Ariel isn’t his biological blood. Ariel’s father suffered from a stroke years back and is (health wise) unable to protect Ariel from his abusive grandfather. Seeing no love at home Ariel flees to the streets where he can’t be touched by his family. However, after finding out of his grandfathers death Ariel returns home to live with his dad and younger brother.

This is a moving documentary that made me realize how one single street in a city carries so much passion, pain, and potential similar to the rest of the world. Director Billy Raftree and the rest of the team that was involved in creating this film made a story that will sweep the nation.