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Deep Dive: The Coconut Revolution (2000)

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The Coconut Revolution
The Coconut Revolution tells the story of the indigenous peoples of Bougainville Island during the Bougainville Civil War against the Papua New Guinea army and the mining corporation Rio Tinto Zinc (RTZ). The film details how the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) utilized coconut oil as fuel to overcome a marine blockade imposed by the Papuan army, leading to a successful uprising. This event is framed as the world's first successful eco-revolution, drawing parallels with the conflict depicted in the 2009 film, Avatar. Directed by Dom Rotheroe, the documentary runs for 50 minutes and was produced in Great Britain. It received funding from the Open Society Foundations and became part of the Sundance Film Fund. The film has garnered multiple awards, including the Grand Prize at the FICA Festival of Environmental Film in Brazil and the Richard Keefe Memorial Award from the British Environment and Media Awards.

Why Watch

  • •See how coconut oil fueled a revolution on Bougainville Island.
  • •Meet the Bougainville Revolutionary Army's fight against RTZ.
  • •Find out why this is called the first eco-revolution.

Did You Know

•The film won the Grand Prize at the FICA Festival of Environmental Film in Brazil.
•The Bougainville Revolutionary Army used coconut oil as fuel to power their vehicles.
•The documentary received funding from the Open Society Foundations.
•It was released in 2001 and directed by Dom Rotheroe.

Perfect For

Environmental activismIndigenous rightsMining conflicts