Sun Come Up

Gr 9 Up—The several thousand native inhabitants of Carteret Island, part of Papua New Guinea in the remote South Pacific, are threatened by the loss of their homes due to rising seas. The island is only a few feet above sea level and salt water is destroying crops, salinating the water supply, and making the island uninhabitable. The islanders are the first to become environmental refugees as a result of global warming and their idyllic way of life must be abandoned. The New Guinea government has offered little or no help and the islanders need to find new homes on the often hostile mainland. The film chronicles the beginning of this search for a new homeland as well as the islanders' feelings of loss, fear, and displacement. At the film's conclusion, a very small group has been allowed to join a mainland village and others look towards their own resettlement. The natives speak a variety of dialects as well as some English and their comments are subtitled in English. The film is vague about the history and geography of the area, including a great Civil War, tribal hostilities, and other situations beyond the general knowledge of viewers. The island inhabitants invoke our sympathy, but without some background information it is difficult to completely understand the situation. New Age type music accompanies the unfolding drama of the search for a home and the conclusion is hopeful for the islanders but predicts many other such situations for the future. This Oscar nominated production may be useful for older students studying the worldwide effects of global warming and climate change and its cultural and ethical implications.—Eva Elisabeth VonAncken, formerly Trinity-Pawling School, NY