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The remote island of Nukuoro is located just north of the Equator and nearly 300 miles by cargo ship from the nearest port of call (which is Pohnpei, capital state of the Federated States of Micronesia). There is no plumbing, electricity, or public transport to or from the island except a cargo ship that makes supply runs to the “outer islands” a few times a year. But even isolated places cannot escape the influence of the outside world in the face of globalization. Despite its remote location, Nukuoro’s way of life has been impacted by colonization, missionary activity, and global warming. Whether welcome or not, change and outside influence is inevitable and this film explores how Nukuoro hopes to manage that change. In the early 2000’s, I was able to take the cargo ship to Nukuoro and explore their way of life. This film documents that voyage. It covers the community’s efforts to generate income in an environmentally sustainable way through a black pearl farm, harmonize democratic principles with a traditional way of life, and navigate the future in a way that respects the past and allows Nukuorans to benefit from modernization as they share in its burdens. |