The Island President

The Island President is an engaging yet overlong documentary revolving around the president of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, with a specific emphasis placed on Nasheed’s ongoing efforts at raising awareness on climate change. Filmmaker Jon Shenk does an excellent job of initially luring the viewer into the proceedings, as the director opens the movie with a whirlwind look at Nasheed’s journey from political prisoner to public official – with the inherently fascinating nature of this stretch certainly setting the stage for a fast-paced and eye-opening documentary. The movie does, however, slow down considerably once it begins dealing with Nasheed’s environmental exploits, with the comparatively sedate nature of this portion of the film admittedly taking some getting used to. It’s ultimately Nasheed himself who compensates for the movie’s uneven atmosphere, as the remarkably even-tempered politician comes off as a tremendously likeable and engaging figure who seems universally beloved by his people (and with good reason). It is, as such, not surprising to note that The Island President eventually does even out to become a watchable behind-the-scenes documentary, although it’s equally clear that the movie’s overlength does become more and more problematic as time progresses (ie the movie’s final half hour features a few too many dry, overtly political stretches). Still, The Island President is, for the most part, a stirring piece of work that effectively throws the spotlight on an important issue and shines the spotlight on an incredibly charismatic world leader.

**1/2 out of ****