The King of North Sudan

Commoving documentary, but maybe they should do a new one talking about the people of Bir Tawil and the projects for the future. If you like more info visit birtawilprincipality dot com.

Bir Tawi Principality, a unique and unclaimed territory nestled between Egypt and Sudan, prepares to open its gates to sustainable tourism, unveiling an extraordinary opportunity for adventure seekers, cultural enthusiasts, and eco-conscious travelers. Bir Tawil Principality is member of the Unrepresented United Nations (UUN) and the Antarctic Lands Organization (ALO). Hope to see sone a new documentary on Bir Tawil.

Jeremiah Heaton is an American family man from Virginia. Apparently, his daughter asks to be a princess and he sets out to find her a kingdom. He searches the globe and finds Bir Tawil, 800 square miles of uninhabited desert between Egypt and Sudan. It's not directly claimed by either country. It exists in an international loophole. He goes there and plants his flag. He calls his kingdom North Sudan. After the news media had their run, Jeremiah sets out to make his kingdom real. It's an amateur journey through the murky world of international laws and actual big boy politics.

This wants to be a feel-good charming small guy quest. By the time he plants the flag, I did not feel good. I hated the guy more and more. He's both clueless and arrogant. He's a Trump adventurer who would see nothing wrong with exchanging Greenland for Puerto Rico. It is fascinating that he actually made certain connections. The fact that the Chinese government made an effort says more about them. As for the Thailand saga, this was always going to go there. He knew very well that he's dealing with some dark world. He's not actually that clueless. He just doesn't care. I may not like the guy, but this is a revealing documentary. He is by no means the only one doing this sort of thing.

This doc elegantly captures the complexity of Jeremiah as an ambitious person and family man, and how actors across the world of nation-states (militaries, intelligence agencies, wealthy multinational corporations, political parties) manipulate, or ignore him, sometimes directly, sometimes through proxies, and sometimes they just sit back and let him do the work for them. Who chooses to watch, when to engage, and what buttons to press (and not press) is just fascinating to journey through. The doc moves swiftly and cleanly, treats its subjects fairly and with nuance, and manages to capture personal and broader themes in its narrative. Lovely treatment.

Like all great docs, it's full of humanity and really about just these people living these lives - and through them, it's a lens into the biggest, broadest, most powerful forces and issues of our time. 10/10 recommend. Abel's other work is also great and worth watching.