Appropriate for: Elementary School Middle School High School College/University
Special Features:
Sun Come Up is available with Spanish subtitles by request.
An Oscar® nominated film about some of the world's first environmental refugees.
Watch TrailerSun Come Up is an Oscar® nominated film that shows the human face of climate change. The film follows the relocation of the Carteret Islanders, a community living on a remote island chain in the South Pacific Ocean, and now, some of the world’s first environmental refugees.
When climate change threatens their survival, the islanders face a painful decision. They must leave their ancestral land in search of a new place to call home. Sun Come Up follows a group of young islanders as they search for land in war-torn Bougainville, 50 miles across the open ocean.
Sun Come Up provokes discussion about climate change, displacement, and the rights of vulnerable communities around the globe.
Recommended by educators as a valuable teaching companion for courses in:
Environmental Studies
Environmental & International law
Human Rights
Anthropology, Sociology & Ethnography
Peace and Conflict Resolution
Multicultural & Religious Studies
Political Science & International Relations
Documentary Filmmaking & Media Studies
"Sun Come Up gives a human face to the global crisis of climate change. This moving account of climate refugees' search for a new home is a powerful way to introduce students to the most urgent issue of our time."
Professor of English and Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin
Rob Nixon
Sun Come Up offers a thought-provoking and inspiring glimpse into how one community is adapting to climate change.
Assistant Professor, Environmental Studies Program, Wellesley College
Jay Turner
Sun Come Up was a stunning and engaging opening to my Environmental Ethics class. It has resonated with students throughout the semester.
Professor of Humanities, Aims Community College
Anne M. Machin
This debut doc captures a poignant historical transition as the Carteret Islanders search for a new home in the South Pacific, their tiny piece of paradise doomed to the rising oceans of climate change.
LA Times
The film opens up gnawing questions of belonging, identity, and planetary consequence.
The Boston Globe
Academy Award® Nominee – Best Documentary Short
US Broadcast – HBO Documentary Films
IDA DocuWeeks –Theatrical Showcase
Winner – Crystal Heart Award, Heartland Festival
Winner – Golden Cine Best of Festival, Montana Cine Festival
Winner – Best Cultural/Human Interest Film, Flagstaff Mountain Festival
Special Mention – Cinemambiente, Italy
Official selection – Full Frame
Official selection – Camerimage
Visit the official website for Sun Come Up

Appropriate for: Elementary School Middle School High School College/University
Special Features:
Sun Come Up is available with Spanish subtitles by request.