Today is the day the Oscars are announced and it's also one of the days that the Documentary Short nominees are being shown in theaters across the country. This is the first year such a show was shown and I must say that all the nominees were exceptional...though generally rather depressing as well. I didn't mind that, as the films were intended to point out societal problems--and that is not what I'd consider 'fun'.
This film is about a small and sad group of people from the Carteret Islands--near Bougainville (islands to the east of Papua New Guinea). I say sad because the sea is encroaching on their land and the salinity is destroying the islanders' ability to feed themselves. As a result, a small group is leaving their land in search of new land--and hoping to gain permission from villagers in nearby Bougainville to move there--no easy task as you learn from the film. Your heart really goes out to them and you can't deny their predicament--so it's a very compelling film.
One aspect of the film that will either annoy you or confirm your beliefs is the film stating several times that this incursion of the sea is THE direct result of global warming due to mankind's effect on the planet. While this connection is debatable (there are many on both sides of this debate), you can't deny that the sea IS taking away the Carteret peoples' land. But I wonder if some of the voters from AMPAS (the Oscar people) might tend to vote for it since the it smacks of a politically correct theme, whereas others might deliberately NOT vote for it as in recent months there have been more and more who have publicly voiced doubt about the global warming phenomenon. I really hope people don't vote for or against it because of this but vote purely based on its merits as a film--which are many. You can't help but feel for these folks and be affected by their plight. Well worth seeing and a fascinating look at a seldom talked about part of the globe.
UPDATE: The Oscar winner was "Strangers No More". I wouldn't have picked it since it was a rather tame and non-controversial film but it was uplifting and nice.
This film is about a small and sad group of people from the Carteret Islands--near Bougainville (islands to the east of Papua New Guinea). I say sad because the sea is encroaching on their land and the salinity is destroying the islanders' ability to feed themselves. As a result, a small group is leaving their land in search of new land--and hoping to gain permission from villagers in nearby Bougainville to move there--no easy task as you learn from the film. Your heart really goes out to them and you can't deny their predicament--so it's a very compelling film.
One aspect of the film that will either annoy you or confirm your beliefs is the film stating several times that this incursion of the sea is THE direct result of global warming due to mankind's effect on the planet. While this connection is debatable (there are many on both sides of this debate), you can't deny that the sea IS taking away the Carteret peoples' land. But I wonder if some of the voters from AMPAS (the Oscar people) might tend to vote for it since the it smacks of a politically correct theme, whereas others might deliberately NOT vote for it as in recent months there have been more and more who have publicly voiced doubt about the global warming phenomenon. I really hope people don't vote for or against it because of this but vote purely based on its merits as a film--which are many. You can't help but feel for these folks and be affected by their plight. Well worth seeing and a fascinating look at a seldom talked about part of the globe.
UPDATE: The Oscar winner was "Strangers No More". I wouldn't have picked it since it was a rather tame and non-controversial film but it was uplifting and nice.
