We need to raise $30k by March 1st to make this project happen. Can you donate?
What is The Kiribati Project?
This educational initiative will introduce approximately two dozen Kiribati youth to video documentary storytelling. The project includes providing participants with otherwise unavailable production equipment. These aspiring storytellers will undergo production training from conception to completion and receive essential support and guidance to effectively apply their newly acquired skills. This initiative aims to empower the youth, enabling them to share their stories through the impactful medium of documentary filmmaking.
Emphasizing mentorship and collaboration, this initiative will create an environment conducive to producing an innovative film. This film will serve as a platform to deliver the personalized stories of a community that often lacks opportunity and access to reach a global audience. Viewers who may be unfamiliar with or lack understanding of the unique place and representation that this community holds will be presented with an opportunity to experience life in Kiribati through film. The initiative seeks to bridge gaps in awareness and provide a global audience with an authentic and enlightening perspective on a lesser-known community.
Why Kiribati?
Most people couldn’t locate the island nation of Kiribati on a map. Similar to various low-lying countries, it faces issues requiring attention to safeguard its unique culture, beautiful people, and distinctive landscape.
The perspectives of Kiribati's youth offer invaluable insights into a place that most will never have the opportunity to visit. Sharing the story of Kiribati with the global community allows us to understand what matters most to its young people and how they envision the future will be for them going forward.
Get to know Kiribati
Kiribati's 33 island atolls straddle the equator in the central Pacific Ocean. Not unlike many low lying island nations, it is grappling with fluctuating conditions that can disrupt daily life. The nation's vulnerability to external factors poses threats to its inhabitants and the continuity of their lives.
Rich in culture and a diverse environment, the Kiribati story is one that many outsiders don't know much about. Through this project, the world will have an opportunity to experience Kiribati from the perspective of the young people we will work with who want to share their stories with the world.
Weather
Ocean
Tropical Islands
Sun
Water
The Battle of Tarawa
The Battle of Tarawa was a bloody and costly battle that took place in the Gilbert Islands in November 1943. The battle pitted the United States against Japan, and it resulted in the deaths of nearly 6,400 Japanese, Koreans, and Americans.
The battle had a profound impact on Kiribati, which is now the nation that includes the Gilbert Islands. The battle destroyed most of the infrastructure on Betio Island, including the capital of the Gilbert Islands, and it killed or displaced a large number of Kiribati people. The battle left Kiribati in a state of economic and social disruption.
Kiribati during WWII
Kiribati during WWII
Tarawa Gun Emplacements
Kiribati during WWII
"This project's greatest benefit is empowering Kiribati youth to authentically share the story that matters most to them. Our narrative, shaped by the daily realities of life in Kiribati, is uniquely ours to tell. We are the ultimate storytellers and directors of our own journey. Equipping us with new skills, this initiative ensures our voices, particularly those of our youth, remain essential in shaping our future. It grants us the ability to perpetuate accurate, up-to-date information long after our mentors have departed."
Tiein Taebo
Producer/Co-Director
The name "Kiribati" is pronounced "Kee-ruh-bas" in English because the "ti" sound in the Gilbertese language is pronounced as an "s" sound in English. The alphabet is made up of 13 letters, including five vowels (A, E, I, O, U) which are pronounced the same as in other languages. English is the other official language but it is not as widely spoken as outside the capital of South Tarawa.
The Gilbertese language (also known as Kiribatese or Ikiribati) is a Micronesian language spoken in Kiribati and the surrounding islands. The language has a number of sounds that are not found in English, such as the "ti" sound. When the name "Kiribati" was first introduced to English speakers, it was pronounced with the "ti" sound as it is pronounced in Gilbertese. However, over time, the pronunciation of the name has shifted to "Kee-ruh-bas", which is more easily pronounced by English speakers.
Get to know the project
With over half of the country’s population categorized as “youth" (those under the age of 25) Kiribati youth have come to understand the challenges they face and how to deal with issues that will touch every citizen of their country. There is concern changing conditions related to access to land, access to water, access to adequate food and so on, could be a significant reason for pushing young people to migrate elsewhere, thus impacting the nation's future.
To build resilience towards the future, young people recognize the important role they play in decisions about their future and that of Kiribati.
The goal of this project is to work with a select group of Kiribati youth to both educate them on how to produce a video documentary, as well as provide the tools necessary to capture their stories. Beyond providing knowledge and the vehicle to produce a documentary, this project will also provide the necessary assistance to get worldwide distribution of their story.
Train youth filmmaking
Identify the stories most important to their culture
Partner with Kiribati youth to film and edit their story
Secure worldwide distribution of the film
Share with the world the Kiribati story
This project places a strong emphasis on personalizing the narrative, giving the people of Kiribati the platform to share their own stories. Through their authentic voices, audiences will better understand life’s challenges in Kiribati. The citizens of Kiribati have a wealth of experiences to share, and our intention is to facilitate that sharing process.
Audiences will gain insights into the community's perspectives and document the unique aspects of life in such a remote island location.
In addition to the storytelling aspect, this initiative will play a crucial role in preserving a visual record of the country and its culture, ensuring that it remains accessible for generations to come.
Meet the Team
Dedicated. Expertise. Passion.
Utilizing current and former Loyola University Chicago students and alumni now established in the filmmaking industry, this project intends to educate and execute a distinctive film initiative similar to a previously successful endeavor. Building on the 2019 achievement in Tuvalu, a Loyola team will engage as research assistants, educators, video documentarians, mentors and crucially, filmmaking collaborators with the youth of Kiribati.
Proof of concept:
We Are Tuvalu
The Kiribati Project will be executed very similarly to the documentary We Are Tuvalu (2019). This feature length documentary proved that the innovation approach to telling a long form story using inexperienced, novice filmmakers can be done successfully.
The same core group of educators and filmmakers who worked side-by-side with Tuvalu youth to produce this film will also be working with Kiribati youth.
This award winning, film was broadcast in over 50 countries through ABC Australia, TV New Zealand and nationally in the United States on Public Television (PBS).
We need to raise $30k to make this project a reality!
Can you help?
We're doing all we can to fund this project but we need help from supporters like you to donate and share so we can educate, execute and give a voice to this important story. Small or large, any donation is greatly appreciated!
We've partnered with Long Distance Media, a 501(c) (3) non-profit storytelling organization, to fundraise for this project. All donations are tax-deductible and will go directly towards supporting the Kiribati Project.
Incentives:
Every contribution matters! Your backing doesn't just fund a documentary; it enables Kiribati's youth to drive change. As a small token of our appreciation, we are providing the following incentives to our supporters:
