Imagine losing your country (literally having it disappear), forcing you to live somewhere else. This scenario is a looming reality for several islands in the central Pacific, including Kiribati, the focus of The Hungry Tide. This nation of 105,000 inhabitants located northeast of Australia spans 33 coral atolls that average two feet above sea level. Because of climate change, the water is rising, and many homes are already flooding at high tide, with the saltwater ruining farmland and compromising drinking water. The documentary follows activist Maria Tiimon, a Kiribati native who lives in Australia. With high expectations, she attends the Copenhagen conference on global warming in 2009, where 132 nations initially support a commitment to keep temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F). But hopes for Kiribati and 40 other low-lying countries are dashed when Australia withdraws its support. As Tiimon says bitterly, “The people we have been talking to are deaf.” Filmmaker Tom Zubrycki notes that after a year of filming puny efforts by shovel-wielding islanders—who try to strengthen sea walls with sandbags—there is finally some heavy equipment in place, but the aid falls far short of what was promised in Copenhagen. Like the similarly-themed The Island President (VL-1/13), this is a sobering look at the human side of a compelling environmental issue. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Gardner)
The Hungry Tide
(2012) 53 min. DVD: $89: high schools & public libraries; $195: colleges & universities. The Video Project. PPR. Closed captioned. Volume 28, Issue 5
The Hungry Tide
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: