MSP Film Presents Virtual Cinema!
Though our daily in-house cinema programming is temporarily suspended and the 2020 MSPIFF disrupted for now, we are busy looking for creative ways to bring film viewing opportunities to you, our amazing members and patrons!
We are partnering with independent distributor Music Box Films to bring a brave new alternative online experience to film fans in our community for home viewing!
Your purchase will directly support MSP Film as we reassess, plan for the future, and uphold our commitment to bringing our community together through the very best in international independent cinema. Thank you. We do it for you and couldn't do it without you.
About the Film
Earth Day and Environmental Awareness Month!
The iconic statues and sensationalized "mysteries" of Easter Island (Rapa Nui) have drawn the interest of the world for centuries, attracting curious visitors to its shores. Today, this tiny, barren island is experiencing an economic boon as tourism skyrockets. Yet the indigenous culture and the island’s fragile environment are suffering.
Eating Up Easter, directed by native Rapanui filmmaker Sergio Mata’u Rapu, explores the dilemma his people are facing. Crafted as a story passed down to his newborn son, Sergio intertwines the authentic history of the island with the stories of four islanders. In their own voices, these Rapanui reveal the reality of modern life and the actions they are taking to preserve their culture and environment amidst rapid development.
A local ecologist leads recycling efforts to tackle the mounting trash arriving with tourists and the waves of plastic washing up on shore. Two musicians struggle to build a free music school they hope will preserve cultural practices and reunite their fractured community. Sergio's father, formerly the island's first native Governor, attempts to balance traditions against the advantages of development while building a mini-mall in the island’s only town.
Eating Up Easter reveals and suggests ways forward in tackling the universal complexities of balancing growth and sustainability faced by local communities worldwide.
Press
"One of the best, most compelling contemporary portraits of a Pacific isle by a Native filmmaker in the history of South Seas Cinema, a major contribution to the “Tidal Wave” of indigenous cinematic storytelling." - People’s World?
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