Jon Shenk Introduces The Island President

Documentary filmmaker Jon Shenk introduces this inspiring film about Mohamed Nasheed, the former president of the Maldives, and the crucial challenges global warming presents for his country. Shenk also engages in a Q & A after each screening. On Sunday afternoon, Nasheed himself joins in the conversation via Skype.

In 2008, Mohamed Nasheed became the first democratically elected president of the Maldives, a nation composed of 1,200 tiny islands in the Indian Ocean, after being imprisoned and tortured under the regime of longtime dictator Maumoon Abdul Gayoom years earlier. Upon taking office, Nasheed was faced with numerous issues, none greater than the fact that much of his country was disappearing into the sea because of global warming. The Island President depicts the charismatic Nasheed’s transformation into one of the world’s most active and outspoken activists against global warming and its numerous causes. Earlier this year, Nasheed was forced to resign during a coup led by supporters of the past Gayoom regime, which makes viewing The Island President an especially poignant experience. The film features a score by Radiohead. (100 mins., video)

Shenk's previous projects include the Emmy-nominated Lost Boys of Sudan (2004) and the Emmy-winning Blame Somebody Else (2007). He was also part of the filmmaking team, as director of photography, that made the stirring documentary The Rape of Europa (2006) about efforts to save and recover European art treasures plundered by the Nazis during WWII.

Generous support provided by Puffin Foundation West, Ltd. Community partner: Ohio Environmental Council.