Chile/USA | 2018 | 76 mins
In Eating Up Easter, Native Rapanui (Easter Island) filmmaker Sergio Mata’u Rapu narrates to his son the modern dilemma of their people who risk losing everything to the globalizing effects of tourism.
The film follows four islanders, descendants of the ancient Moai statue builders of Easter Island, who are working to tackle the consequences of their rapidly developing home. Mama Piru leads recycling efforts to reduce trash, Mahani and Enrique use music to reunite their divided community, and Sergio tries to understand the motivations of his father who embraces the advantages of building new businesses. These stories intertwine to reveal the complexities of development and the contradictions within us all as we are faced with hard choices about our planet’s future. View film website here.
Topics Addressed:
- Plastic Pollution
- Sustainability
- Waste Management
- Environmental Impact of Tourism
- Loss of Cultural Identity
- Globalization
We sincerely thank Kartemquin Films and Pacific Islanders in Communications for their work on this project; as well as that of the amazing filmmakers, Sergio and Elena Rapu.
“A major contribution to … indigenous cinematic storytelling.”
– Ed Rampell, People’s World
“A lush achievement …”
– David Lipset, Oceania Journal
