Island Soldier 2017
Distributed by Passion River Films, 154 Mt. Bethel Rd., Warren, NJ 07059; 732-321-0711
Produced by SeachangePictures; Pacific Islanders in Communications; Meerkat Media
Directed by Nathan Fitch
DVD, color, 85 min.
High School - General Adult
Sociology, Military Service, War, Immigrants, Soldiers, Micronesia, Family
Date Entered: 01/02/2019
Reviewed by Michael Fein, Coordinator of Library Services, Central Virginia Community College, Lynchburg, VAThis film follows the Nena family from the island of Kosrae in the Federated States of Micronesia as they mourn the death of Sergeant Sapuro “Sapp” Nena in Afghanistan. Beginning with his remains’ arrival on the island through the funeral and his family’s grieving process we see how intertwined the affairs of Micronesia are with the United States. Although an independent country for over thirty years, poverty is rampant the pay for a U.S. Army private is some ten times the average annual income in this far-flung island country. Needless to say, many of the country’s sons and a few daughters join the U.S. military. We see some of them as they leave the island and go to the U.S. for training via Guam. The lives of the Micronesians in the military and the lives of their families back home are all depicted very well.The country itself consists of thousands of island flung across an area the size of the contiguous United States and strategically located in the western Pacific.
Sound and audio are nearly flawless. Audio for this review copy was English Dolby 2.0 stereo.
Awards
- Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, Winner, Best Cinematography
- Seattle Asian American Film Festival, Winner, Audience CHOICE Award
- San Diego Asian Film Festival, Audience CHOICE Award
- Guam International Film Festival, Winner, Audience Choice Award