Watch YMovies. "El Destierro" (1976) is a film adaptation of Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story "Wakefield". It tells the haunting tale of a man who mysteriously abandons his home for many years. Rather than disappearing completely, he chooses to secretly observe his wife and child from a distance. After years of watching their lives unfold without him, he finally makes the decision to return, but the consequences of his prolonged absence remain uncertain.