The Exiles (2024 film)

The Exiles
The Exiles
	Theatrical release poster
Spanish	Los Tortuga
Directed by	Belén Funes
Screenplay by	Belén Funes; Marçal Cebrian;
Produced by	Antonio Chavarrías; Olmo Figueredo González-Quevedo;
Starring	Antonia Zegers; Elvira Lara;
Cinematography	Diego Cabezas
Edited by	Sergio Jiménez
Music by	Paloma Peñarrubia
Production; companies	Oberon Media; La Claqueta PC; Quijote Films; Los Tortuga AIE;
Distributed by	A Contracorriente Films
Release dates	September 2024 (TIFF); 23 May 2025 (Spain);
Countries	Spain; Chile;
Languages	Spanish; Catalan;

The Exiles (Spanish: Los Tortuga) is a 2024 drama film directed by Belén Funes. It stars Antonia Zegers and Elvira Lara.

Plot

The plot tracks a mother-daughter relationship, in which both parts are mourning the passing of Julián, with the mother (Delia, Julián's wife) being a Chilean taxi driver in Catalonia and the daughter (Anabel; Julián's daughter) holding a close relationship to the land of Jaén, from which her father emigrated.^[1]^[2] They both face eviction from their apartment in Collblanc [es], acquired by a vulture fund.^[3]

Cast

Elvira Lara as Anabel^[4]
Antonia Zegers as Delia^[4]
Mamen Camacho as aunt Inés^[4]
Lorena Aceituno^[5]
Pedro Castellano^[5]
Pedro Romero^[5]

Production

The film is a Spanish-Chilean co-production by Oberon Media, La Claqueta PC, Quijote Films, and Los Tortuga AIE.^[2] It was shot in between the provinces of Barcelona and Jaén in late 2023.^[6]

Release

The Exiles was presented in September 2024 in the 'Centrepiece' section of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).^[7] It also made it to the main competition strand of the 28th Málaga Film Festival, where it was presented on 16 March 2025.^[8]^[9] It is expected to be released theatrically in Spain on 23 May 2025 by A Contracorriente Films.^[10]

Reception

Michael Talbot-Haynes of Film Threat wrote that "there are times where The Exiles is so real that you can feel the air around the characters on the hairs of your arms".^[4]

Luis Martínez of El Mundo deemed the film to be the stunning confirmation of Funes, "a film that stains and stains itself", also assessing that "[there are] few endings are as rounded, exciting and perfect as that of Los Tortuga".^[11]

Accolades


Year	Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
2025	28th Málaga Film Festival	Silver Biznaga for Special Jury Prize		Won	^[12]
		Silver Biznaga for Best Director	Belén Funes	Won
		Silver Biznaga for Best Screenplay	Belén Funes, Marçal Cebrian	Won

Release

^ Martos, David (13 September 2024). "Kinótico Extra. 'Los Tortuga', la historia de duelo y exilio de Belén Funes, se lanza en Toronto". Kinótico.
^ ^a ^b Rivera, Alfonso (29 August 2024). "EXCLUSIVA: Teaser poster de Los Tortuga, programada en la sección Centrepiece de Toronto". Cineuropa.
^ Velasco Martín-Grande, Marcos (29 August 2024). "De 'La virgen roja' a 'La habitación de al lado': El cine español que queda este 2024". Ecartelera.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Talbot-Haynes, Michael (25 September 2024). "The Exiles (Los Tortuga)". Film Threat.
^ ^a ^b ^c "The Exiles". Film Factory Entertainment. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
^ Rivera, Alfonso (13 June 2024). "Belén Funes da los últimos retoques a su segundo largometraje, Los Tortuga". Cineuropa.
^ Casas, Quim (10 September 2024). "Lo último del cine español se luce en el Festival de Toronto". La Opinión A Coruña. Prensa Ibérica.
^ Chico, Fran (30 January 2025). "El Festival de Málaga 2025 presenta su primer avance con Gemma Blasco, Belén Funes, Eva Libertad, Gracia Querejeta y Celia Rico". Fotogramas (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 January 2025.
^ "La película 'Los Tortuga' impacta con un retrato heterogéneo de la realidad social en el Festival de Málaga". Europa Press. 16 March 2025.
^ Sánchez Sequera, Marco (3 January 2025). "El cine español que se estrenará en 2025". Audiovisual451.
^ Martínez, Luis (16 March 2025). "Málaga se rinde al barroquismo grave, lírico, duro y emocionante de Los Tortuga, la deslumbrante confirmación de Belén Funes". El Mundo.
^ Sánchez, Isabel (22 March 2025). "'Sorda' y 'El ladrón de perros', Biznagas de Oro del 28 Festival de Cine de Málaga". Onda Cero.

[1] Martos, David (13 September 2024). "Kinótico Extra. 'Los Tortuga', la historia de duelo y exilio de Belén Funes, se lanza en Toronto". Kinótico.

[teaser-2] Rivera, Alfonso (29 August 2024). "EXCLUSIVA: Teaser poster de Los Tortuga, programada en la sección Centrepiece de Toronto". Cineuropa.

[3] Velasco Martín-Grande, Marcos (29 August 2024). "De 'La virgen roja' a 'La habitación de al lado': El cine español que queda este 2024". Ecartelera.

[filmthreat-4] Talbot-Haynes, Michael (25 September 2024). "The Exiles (Los Tortuga)". Film Threat.

[filmfactory-5] "The Exiles". Film Factory Entertainment. Retrieved 26 September 2024.

[tweaks-6] Rivera, Alfonso (13 June 2024). "Belén Funes da los últimos retoques a su segundo largometraje, Los Tortuga". Cineuropa.

[7] Casas, Quim (10 September 2024). "Lo último del cine español se luce en el Festival de Toronto". La Opinión A Coruña. Prensa Ibérica.

[8] Chico, Fran (30 January 2025). "El Festival de Málaga 2025 presenta su primer avance con Gemma Blasco, Belén Funes, Eva Libertad, Gracia Querejeta y Celia Rico". Fotogramas (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 January 2025.

[9] "La película 'Los Tortuga' impacta con un retrato heterogéneo de la realidad social en el Festival de Málaga". Europa Press. 16 March 2025.

[a451-10] Sánchez Sequera, Marco (3 January 2025). "El cine español que se estrenará en 2025". Audiovisual451.

[11] Martínez, Luis (16 March 2025). "Málaga se rinde al barroquismo grave, lírico, duro y emocionante de Los Tortuga, la deslumbrante confirmación de Belén Funes". El Mundo.

[12] Sánchez, Isabel (22 March 2025). "'Sorda' y 'El ladrón de perros', Biznagas de Oro del 28 Festival de Cine de Málaga". Onda Cero.

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Plot

Cast

Production

Release

Reception

Accolades

See also

Release