The Meridian International Center, ITVS, and Young Professionals in Foreign Policy present as part of the Global Perspectives Film Series
The Island President
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
6:30pm Film Screening
Discussion and Q&A to follow
With featured speaker
His Excellency Winston Thompson
Ambassador of Fiji
Former Fijian Permanent Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries & Forests
And participating remotely
Jon Shenk
Director/Cinematographer
Moderated by
Lawrence MacDonald
Vice President, Communications and Policy Outreach, Center for Global Development
About The Island President:
Jon Shenk’s The Island President is the story of President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives, a man confronting a problem greater than any other world leader has ever faced — the literal survival of his country and everyone in it. After bringing democracy to the Maldives after thirty years of despotic rule, Nasheed is now faced with an even greater challenge: as one of the most low-lying countries in the world, a rise of three feet in sea level would submerge the 1200 islands of the Maldives enough to make them uninhabitable. Despite the modest size of his country, Nasheed has become one of the leading international voices for urgent action on climate change. The Island President captures Nasheed’s first year of office, culminating in his trip to the Copenhagen Climate Summit in 2009, where the film provides a rare glimpse of the political horse-trading that goes on at such a top-level global assembly.
