Montreal filmmaker at Sundance explores plight of tiny nation Kiribati

Linda Barnard, The Canadian Press</span>
Published Friday, January 19, 2018 12:25PM EST

PARK CITY, Utah - Montreal's Matthieu Rytz hopes his first film, "Anote's Ark," will put the plight of the tiny Pacific Ocean island nation of Kiribati on the world's radar.

The documentary premieres today at the Sundance Film Festival and focuses on a country that many do not know exists -- and might not for much longer.

The nation of about 100,000 people is in danger of being engulfed by rising water levels or wiped out by new patterns of extreme weather, all sparked by climate change.

Former Kiribati president Anote Tong narrates the film and says it's more about climate justice than climate change.

Instead of focusing on numbers and scientists, Rytz created a character-driven story about Tong and a 36-year-old a mother of six, who has an opportunity to leave Kiribati for a new life in New Zealand.

My first film @Anotesark will have its world premiere in official competition at the @sundancefest!

What if your country was swallowed by the sea? The film explores what it takes to migrate an entire nation with dignity. #Kiribati #climatechange

Trailer: https://t.co/kTzmCfOAhX
— Matthieu Rytz (@MatthieuRytz) January 10, 2018

See you tomorrow @sundancefest #WorldPremiere #AnotesArk #TheNewClimate #Sundance @EyeSteelFilm pic.twitter.com/M404etK9zz
— Anotesark (@anotesark) January 18, 2018