Sun Come Up
Since the launch of SUN COME UP at the Full Frame Film Festival, the filmmakers have been conducting community screenings called "Houseraisers" which are paired with a fundraiser for the Carteret Islanders. Funds raised go towards building new homes at the relocation site. The HouseRaisers also educate audiences about climate change and forced migration. In schools, it has been teaching students about climate change and global responsibility, and their capacity to make a difference. The film has also won various awards on the festival circuit.
Directed by: Jennifer Redfearn
Produced by: Tim Metzger
Granted on: 2009-06-01
Grant: I Believe in You Grant
Production Stage: Completed
Sun Come Up follows the relocation of some of the world’s first environmental refugees, the Carteret Islanders – a community living on a remote island chain in the South Pacific Ocean. When rising seas threaten their survival, the islanders face a painful decision: they must leave their beloved land in search of a new place to call home. The film follows the Carteret’s relocation leader, Ursula Rakova, and a group of young islanders led by Nick Hakata as they search for land in Bougainville, an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea 50 miles across the open ocean. The move will not be easy as Bougainville is recovering from a 10-year civil war. Many Bougainvilleans remain traumatized by the “Crisis” as the civil war is known locally. Yet, Sun Come Up isn’t a familiar third world narrative. Out of this tragedy comes a story of hope, strength, and profound generosity. San Kamap (Sun Come Up) means sunrise in pidgin and reflects this sentiment - the resilience of the community, and the hope that’s present at the start of a new day.
