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Review: Asote’s Ark

Asote’s Ark is a beautiful and haunting story of the small island of Kiribati. It is a story of change and resistance to change. The island is changing, the weather is changing, and the people sit in the clear presence of their own fragility. The film takes us on a journey that weaves together the lives of islanders with the…

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Review: I See Red People

Maybe learning about the past is like learning to drive. Although the RMV gives you a handbook of applicable laws and procedures, much that you need to know only comes as you absorb tacit rules of the road: in Boston, you’d know turn left just before the light turns green, but elsewhere that might not be a good idea. When…

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The “American Dream” in Melanesia: Island Soldier

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” “I want to be an American … soldier” The absent protagonist of Island Soldier, Sappuro “Sapp” Nena, replied to this question while in uniform, riding an armored personnel carrier in Afghanistan. He died in action before he could return home. Although enlisted in the U.S. Army,…