Dignity in Exile

Situated on a toxic leaf composting facility and the Portland International Airport is Dignity Village, the first city-recognized shantytown and a place the dejected, jobless, and impoverished outcasts of society call home. A powerful study of homelessness and the human spirit, this photo-ethnographic account follows the villagers for six months as they fight to overcome lives beleaguered with abuse, incarceration, addiction, mental health issues, and the stigma of poverty. The result is a stunning portraiture of the people who live there, explored through high-quality reporting, remarkable photography, and an honest visual representation of the flame of dignity that burns deep inside those in exile.