Disappearing of Tuvalu, The: Trouble in Paradise

Synopsis

A detailed overview of contemporary life in the tiny South Pacific country of Tuvalu, this film documents the earth’s first sovereign nation faced with total destruction due to the effects of global warming. With a population of about 11,000 living on a total landmass of only 20 square miles, spread over nine low-lying atolls 600 miles to the north of Fiji, Tuvalu has been inhabited for over four millenia. The warm-spirited and highly community-oriented people of this ex-British colony struggle to survive economically while confronting the likelihood of having to evacuate their homeland en masse within the next 50 years. As the industrial world begins to address the threat and causes of global warming, rising seas and increasingly violent changes in climate have already left their marks on this poor island nation. The government of Tuvalu and other concerned organisations are directing their pleas for solutions to the wealthy countries whose high pollution emissions could be the central human contribution to this phenomenon. Observation, narration, and interviews with Tuvalu citizens from various walks of life flesh out a full portrait of a unique community confronting a dubious future on the front lines of a global environmental assault.

Language

English

Year of release

2006

Year of production

2004

Uses

Students of film, theatre, music, religion and anthropology

Subjects

Anthropology; Environmental science; Geography

Keywords

global warming; South Pacific; Tuvalu

Online availability

URI

http://www.der.org/films/the-disappearing-of-tuvalu.html

Price

$19.95 (download) $9.95 (day pass)

Delivery

Streamed/Download

Credits

Director

Christopher Horner

Distribution Formats

Type

DVD

Format

Region 1

Price

$195.00 (long version) $175.00 (short version)

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

75 or 50 minutes

Year

2006

Distributor

Name

Documentary Educational Resources

Email

docued@der.org

Web

http://der.org/ External site opens in new window

Phone

+1 617 926 0491

Fax

+1 617 926 9519

Address

101 Morse Street
Watertown
MA 02472
USA

Notes

American company with an extensive catalogue of documentary films from around the world in the areas of ethnology, anthropology, world cultures, religion, women’s studies and human rights. Supplied on PAL/NTSC video and multi-region DVD, or download via the Reframe Collection (qv).