'The Island President' Film Screening and Discussion

From the City of Berkeley

Join the City of Berkeley Office of Energy and Sustainable Development for a free special screening of The Island President on Wednesday, April 10 at 7 p.m. at Rialto Cinemas Elmwood, 2966 College Ave.

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 survival of his country.

After bringing democracy to the Maldives after 30 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.  

There will be a post film discussion with the documentary filmmaker, Jon Shenk.

Jon Shenk was also the Director of Photography for the Academy Award-winning Smile Pinki (2009) and was awarded an Emmy for Blame Somebody Else (2007).

Timothy Burroughs of City of Berkeley Office of Energy and Sustainable Development and Tom Athanasiou of EcoEquity will join Shenk on the panel to discuss climate change and how to get involved locally. 

The free screening is co-sponsored by The City of Berkeley Office of Energy and Sustainable Development and Rialto Cinemas Elmwood. It is part of Community Cinema, presented by the Independent Television Service (ITVS), which offers free monthly screening series featuring films from the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Independent Lens.   

The movie will be shown as an early Earth Day event to help inspire and engage our community in the issues surrounding climate change.

To get involved in other Earth Day events or organize your own environmental action, check out the Ecology Center’s webpage at: www.ecologycenter.org/earthdays/.

The Office of Energy and Sustainable Development leads the City’s sustainability efforts through the Climate Action Plan by helping Berkeley residents, businesses, and city government reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create a healthy urban environment.