The Coconut Revolution

Not to be confused with the Coconut War, a brief clash between Papua New Guinean soldiers and rebels in Espiritu Santo shortly before and after the independence of the Republic of Vanuatu was declared in 1980.

The Coconut Revolution
Directed byDom Rotheroe
Produced byMichael Chamberlain
Distributed byStampede
Release date
  • 2001 (2001)
Running time
50 min
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

The Coconut Revolution is a 2001 multi-award winning documentary film about the struggle of the indigenous peoples of Bougainville Island during the Bougainville Civil War. The movement is described as the "world's first successful eco-revolution" and has drawn parallels with the conflict depicted in the 2009 film, Avatar.[1]

Overview

The movie tells the story of the successful uprising of the indigenous peoples of Bougainville Island against the Papua New Guinea army and the mining plans of the mining corporation Rio Tinto Zinc (RTZ) to exploit their natural resources. The documentary reveals how the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) managed to overcome the marine blockade strategy used by the Papuan army by using coconut oil as fuel for their vehicles.[2][3][4][5]

It received funding from the Open Society Foundations, which thence became the Sundance Film Fund.

Awards

Awards attributed to this documentary include:

Winner

  • Grand Prize, FICA Festival of Environmental Film, Brazil
  • British Environment and Media (BEMA) Awards Richard Keefe Memorial Award - WWF
  • Golden Kite, Best Documentary, Mar del Plata, Argentina
  • Silver Kite, Best Film for Young People, Argentina

Runner-up

See also

References

  1. ^ Babcock, Jay (12 January 2010). "REAL-LIFE "AVATAR" 1-3". Arthur. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
  2. ^ ecolodave (15 March 2015). "The Coconut Revolution (TV Movie 2000)". IMDb. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  3. ^ "Journeyman Pictures : documentaries : The Coconut Revolution". Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  4. ^ "El ciclo Zine Txiroa proyecta hoy el documental 'La revolución de los cocos". 20 May 2009. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  5. ^ "The Coconut Revolution". Retrieved 15 March 2015.