If you “virtually” go:
Where: walkingmountains.org/virtualfilms (password GreatFilm)
When: Monday, April 20 – Friday, April 24
Cost: Free!
Sustainable Film Series Free Virtual Film Screening!
April is typically the last month for Walking Mountains Science Center’s Sustainable Film Series. We don’t want our community members to miss out on the final film so we are going virtual! In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day we are hosting a virtual screening of Eating up Easter all week long at walkingmountains.org/virtualfilms (password GreatFilm).
Eating Up Easter is not about the consumption of candy found in baskets this time of year, but about an island. Rapa Nui, or as it is commonly referred to - Easter Island. Rapa Nui is a remote island off the coast of Chile that has been the focus of documentary films that have both mystified and exploited its famous mo'ai statues. Rapanui filmmaker, Sergio Mata’u Rapu created a unique film that emphasizes the cultural impacts of tourism alongside the ecological impacts. It shows the social and historical impacts that are intertwined with degradation of the natural world. This is drawn into focus by the filmmaker’s viewpoint as a native Rapanui person. It is made all the more personal and poignant, as Rapu frames the film as a letter to his newborn child.
Easter Island has long been used as a classic example of environmental degradation and limited island resources in biology courses, however, this is only part of the complicated story of Rapa Nui. As more people learn of the island through documentaries and travel segments the tourism and traffic to the island continue to increase, introducing a host of other problems that face the Rapanui people and their island. Eating Up Easter also shares some positive examples of how the tourism industry has impacted the community through a couple key examples, including a nonprofit music school run by a Rapanui couple working to educate young Rapanui musicians and teaching them the Rapanui language and culture. It also features a Rapanui ecologist who works at the recycling facility on the island. The people featured in the film bring life to a problem that is often framed as just or simply environmental.
Join us as we raise awareness and encourage community conversation about environmental issues impacting our world. Make sure you have your snacks and drinks for the screening by supporting our venue host, The Riverwalk Theater.
We also want to take a moment to thank all of our amazing sponsors from this year’s series. We appreciate your kindness in supporting this project and making our eighth year a success!
Hope you enjoy this virtual screening. Enjoy daydreaming about your next trip and what you will look like as a responsible traveler in a sustainable destination.
Visit www.walkingmountains.org/virtualfilms and enter the password GreatFilm to view now all week long. For more information about this film, visit www.eatingupeaster.com.
