Island Soldier

Island Soldier is a 2017 American documentary film written, directed and produced by former Peace Corps volunteer Nathan Fitch.[1][2] The film deals with problems faced by United States Military families from Kosrae who are citizens of Federated States of Micronesia. Because of a free association agreement called the Compact of Free Association, they can serve, fight and die for the US in Afghanistan and Iraq but they cannot vote.[3]

Island Soldier
Directed byNathan Fitch
Written byBryan Chang, Nathan Fitch
CinematographyNathan Fitch
Edited byBryan Chang
Music byBing & Ruth
Production
companies
Atoll Pictures; Pacific Islanders in Communications; the Humanities Guåhan; Meerkat Media
Release dates
  • 8 April 2017 (2017-April-08) (Durham, NC)
Running time
86 minutes
CountriesUnited States, Federated States of Micronesia

Release

After its World Premiere at the Full Frame Film Festival in North Carolina, Island Soldier has screened at film festivals across the USA as well as Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany, Japan and Taiwan.[4][5]

On Dec 15, 2017, a special screening was presented by the US Department of State and the US Department of the Interior at the Sidney Yates Auditorium in Washington, DC.[6][7]

On April 4, 2018, a special screening was held on the island of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia.[8]

On November 14, 2018, the film was broadcast on PBS television and the World Channel as part of the America ReFramed series.[9]

Reception

Critical response

Island Soldier has not received a rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, but it has received mostly enthusiastic reviews.[10]

Sheri Linden of the Hollywood Reporter praised it as "an affecting chronicle of gentle lives and quiet outrage."[11] Jason Sanders, in Filmmaker Magazine, writes that the film "benefits from Fitch’s camerawork, empathy and connection to their subjects, while Bryan Chang’s deft editing does well to underline both Kosrae’s breathtaking natural beauty and its more prosaic, end-of-the road isolation that forces so many of its youth to leave."[12] Sally Round, writing for Radio New Zealand, says the film "brings hope to FSM."[13]

On the negative side, Chad Blair of the Honolulu City Beat criticized the film for asserting "that Micronesians are killed at a higher rate than soldiers born in the 50 states, though the evidence is limited."[14][15]

Accolades
Date of Ceremony Category Nominee(s) Result Ref(s)
Guam International Film Festival Oct 1, 2017 Grand Jury Award Island Soldier Nominated [16]
Best Documentary Nominated
Audience Award Won
San Diego Asian Film Festival Nov 11, 2017 Audience Award Island Soldier Won [17]
Seattle Asian American Film Festival April 24, 2017 Grand Jury Award - Best Feature Island Soldier Won [18][19]
Audience Choice - Feature Film Won
Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival May 10, 2018 Best Documentary Feature Island Soldier Nominated [20]
Best Cinematography Nathan Fitch Won [21]
Houston Asian American Pacific Islander Film Festival June 11, 2018 Grand Jury Award - Best Documentary Island Soldier Won [22]

See also

Further reading

References
  1. "About". NATHAN FITCH. Retrieved 2018-04-25.
  2. "Island Soldier by Nathan Fitch". Pacific Islanders in Communications. Retrieved 2018-07-14.
  3. Fitch, Nathan (2017-02-13), Island Soldier - Trailer, retrieved 2018-04-25
  4. "Screenings". ISLAND SOLDIER. Archived from the original on June 23, 2018. Retrieved 2018-04-25.
  5. "Schedule". TIEFF. Retrieved 2020-01-11.
  6. "@islandsoldiermovie on Instagram: "Honored to have our screening today introduced by Ambassador Susaia and Director Pula, and a Q&A with Micronesian soldiers Sigrah and Esta!…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-26. Retrieved 2018-04-25.
  7. "Island Soldier Movie". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2018-04-25.
  8. Jaynes, Bill. "Stunning documentary, "Island Soldier" has its first screening in the FSM". www.kpress.info. Retrieved 2018-04-25.
  9. "Eugene Lang Faculty Nathan Fitch Debuts New 'Island Soldier' Documentary". The New School News. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
  10. Island Soldier (2017), retrieved 2020-12-05
  11. "'Island Soldier': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2018-04-25.
  12. Sanders, Jason. "Hawaii Rising: Creating Community at the 37th Hawaii International Film Festival | Filmmaker Magazine". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved 2018-04-25.
  13. "'Island Soldier' brings hope in FSM". Radio New Zealand. 2018-04-25. Retrieved 2018-04-25.
  14. "Chad Blair: The Story Of Micronesians Fighting America's Wars". Honolulu Civil Beat. 2017-10-24. Retrieved 2018-05-31.
  15. "Press". ISLAND SOLDIER. Retrieved 2018-04-25.
  16. "Island Soldier (WINNER – Audience Choice Award, NOMINEE – Grand Jury Award, Best Documentary Feature) – Guam International Film Festival". www.guamfilmfestival.org. Retrieved 2018-04-25.
  17. "Announcing the 2017 SDAFF Award Winners". 2017 San Diego Asian Film Festival. Retrieved 2018-04-25.
  18. "SeattleAAFF on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 2018-04-27.
  19. Island Soldier, retrieved 2018-04-27
  20. ISLAND SOLDIER, retrieved 2018-05-09
  21. "Congratulations to our 2018 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival winners!". 2018 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. Retrieved 2018-05-11.
  22. "HAAPI Film Festival". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2018-06-12.
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