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IMDbPro

The Island President

  • 2011
  • PG
  • 1h 41m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
1.3K
YOUR RATING
The Island President (2011)
Follow the globe-trotting journey of President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives, the lowest-lying country in the world, who, after bringing democracy to his country, takes up the fight to keep it from disappearing under the sea.
Play trailer2:18
1 Video
5 Photos
Documentary

After bringing democracy to his country, President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives, the lowest-lying country in the world, takes up the fight to keep his homeland from disappearing under the... Read allAfter bringing democracy to his country, President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives, the lowest-lying country in the world, takes up the fight to keep his homeland from disappearing under the sea.After bringing democracy to his country, President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives, the lowest-lying country in the world, takes up the fight to keep his homeland from disappearing under the sea.

  • Director
    • Jon Shenk
  • Star
    • Mohamed Nasheed
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    1.3K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Jon Shenk
    • Star
      • Mohamed Nasheed
    • 10User reviews
    • 31Critic reviews
    • 72Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 5 wins & 6 nominations total

    Videos1

    U.S. Version
    Trailer 2:18
    U.S. Version

    Photos4

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    Top cast1

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    Mohamed Nasheed
    Mohamed Nasheed
    • Self
    • Director
      • Jon Shenk
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews10

    7.21.2K
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    Featured reviews

    2darren-511

    ***Warning Ignorance was used to make this film***

    UPDATE: Here's a spoiler for you. This film was produced 8 years ago and the island is still there.

    I am moving my rating from a 1 to a 2 based on the cinematography, otherwise I would look for something below 1. Had the director chosen to tell the story of a 'man-gone-mad', then that might have been interesting but this dribble is just another propaganda film for the environmental movement.

    What perplexes me is the assertion "the main island has lost 5 meters of beach front and that Manhattan Island is also at the same depth". Here's an inconvenient truth for you- ALL ISLANDS ARE AT SEA LEVEL! Here's another obvious fact that might present an obstacle to thinking people. Sometimes beaches erode because of ocean volatility and their lack of protection from the elements. Sometimes the plates of the earth sift and islands sink and sometimes islands rise because volcanoes erupt under the sea. There are a number of reasons that an island can experience beach erosion so why not explore all the reasons before jumping on one concept because it supports what uneducated people want to hear.

    I love the passion of President Nasheed but it's passion misplaced. Passion for passion sake is acceptable for a child but for a grown man it is simply naive. If you think "An Inconvenient Truth" was science based then you'll love this film. If you see the hypocrisy of Al Gore purchasing beach front property in California then you might want to avoid this film.
    8melv_89

    Great insight in global politics regarding environmental issues

    I seriously don't get why this documentary scores this low on IMDb. But then again, I've seen weirder ratings on here. Good, to get to the point:

    Some call this docu a propaganda film for environmentalists, or for the "island president" himself. Fair enough. But is that necessarily a 'bad' thing? In my opinion, this docu gives a great insight in the complexities (and, perhaps, to an extent the impossibilities) of global governance of environmental issues. I do not think this docu actually leaves you with a positive feeling on how to tackle environmental problems, if ever. Nevertheless, it does provide you a very compelling story of a man who tries to make a difference, though be it a tiny, tiny difference. The island president's role is comparable to that of little David trying to fight gigantic, grotesque Goliath.

    A very compelling docu that, I think, you should have seen if you're interested in high-level politics.
    jpadow

    to "darren-511" above

    I just saw this movie on a plane, was deeply moved and impressed by it, and I had to respond to one IMDb user's review.

    User darren-511's pathetic one-star review above claims that "All Islands are at Sea Level" and that The Island President overlooked this glaring error.

    Here's a basic geography lesson.

    Sea level means the measurement of the average height of the ocean's surface. In the Maldives, the highest point on land is only 2.4 meters above sea level, or above the height of the water. This means on these very low, flat islands, there is no high ground whatsoever to seek refuge on if sea level rise or a tsunami occurs. Where on earth do you get the notion that "All Islands are at sea level?!" Haven't you ever seen an island with a mountain on it, like the Haleakala or Mauna Loa volcanoes in Hawaii? The Maldives are seriously in danger of being wiped out by climate change and I don't want to let your serious ignorance of basic science have any opportunity to steer viewers away from this great film.
    10coolscale

    Much Much Better than An Inconvenient Truth.

    The Documentary was very well directed and presented. It portrays the important events that took place in Mohamed Nasheed's life as a child and as a politician, and his 'sudden' movement towards environment. It would made us think the how vulnerable the Maldivian life actually is!

    The Island President is hardly a PowerPoint presentation on the subject of environmental responsibility. That's already been done well enough. Instead, This Documentary tackles the message from a compelling human- interest angle -- by focusing on the messenger.

    It was far more entertaining and less didactic than An Inconvenient Truth, with beautiful scenery of Indian Ocean captured with bird-view camera angles both in stills and amazing time-lapses.

    A must watch for all environment lovers.
    1thibaage-raajje

    This is mostly a COMMERCIAL for his PR

    This is movie is a PR effort helping him to win Nobel Peace Prize. He was ousted by his own people in 3 years like Hosni Mubarak and Gazzafi.

    His total presidency was a drama filled lies and lies. I am sure we westerners are more civilized than a third world countries.

    I doubt any ethical person will buy a ticket for this movie when this movie was funded secretly from tax payers money. Maldives is a very small country with limited resources and its ousted president want to become a Hollywood celebrity. I see no difference than the Saudi Royal Family and Him.

    No offense to his loyal supporters.

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    Documentary

    Storyline

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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Quotes

      Maldives Minister: [Talking to a journalist on the phone] I do not even like the term negotiate. There is nothing to negotiate with the environment.

    • Connections
      Referenced in Film Junk Podcast: Episode 336: Drive and TIFF 2011 (2011)
    • Soundtracks
      Electioneering
      Written by Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway

      Performed by Radiohead

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 30, 2012 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official site
      • Official site (Japan)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Островной президент
    • Filming locations
      • Copenhagen, Denmark
    • Production companies
      • ITVS International
      • Actual Films
      • Afterimage Public Media
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $76,398
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $13,998
      • Apr 1, 2012
    • Gross worldwide
      • $80,996
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 41m(101 min)
    • Color
      • Color

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