The islands of Tuvalu are located in the Pacific Ocean, roughly halfway between Hawaii and Australia. It is one of the smallest and most remote countries on earth and is considered by many as destined to become of the Earth’s first tangible victims of global warming. The environmental threat to the country makes itself evident on a regular basis. Tuvalu’s highest point rises just four and a half metres above sea level, and the average elevation is under two. As sea levels climb and storms intensify, flooding is becoming more frequent and more severe.

Yet many Tuvaluans do not believe climate change will leave them without a nation. This deeply Christian country places great faith in the near-daily appearance of rainbows, seen as a sign of God’s everlasting covenant with the land — a promise that the Earth will never again be flooded.

Land is the most valued possession to the Tuvalu culture. The word “fakaalofa” is attributed to a person without land. The literal translation of this means “a person deserving of pity”. With rising seas and increasingly destructive weather, there is a growing fear that, in the near future, all Tuvaluans could become fakaalofa. What is going to happen to a nation without their home islands to anchor their culture?

WORLD EXPO

The film has been part of the World Expo 2008, Zaragoza, Spain. Screened on daily basis in the Water Pavilion cinema theatre, the festival was host to nearly 6 million visitors.

BROADCAST

Broadcast in The Netherlands (Nederland 2), Austria (ORF-TV), Turkey (CNN) and China (RTHK).

FILM FESTIVALS

Ocean Pacifica Festival 2011, Sydney, Australia
8th Taiwan Design Expo 2010, Taipei, Taiwan
Cine Mube, Cultural Film Festival 2009, São Paulo, Brazil
Ecofilms Festival, International Film and Visual Arts Festival 2008, Rodos, Greece
DOCSDF 2008, 3rd International Documentary Film Festival Mexico City, Mexico
PICNIC ‘08, Westergasfabriek, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
DesignEX ‘08, BODW, Hong Kong
World Expo 2008, Water Pavilion, Zaragoza, Spain
Eco Aesthetics 2008, Ministry of VROM, The Hague, The Netherlands
Eco Aesthetics 2008, TAG, The Hague, The Netherlands
Shoot Me Film Festival 2007, The Hague, The Netherlands