Appropriate for: Middle School High School College/University
Special Features:
Online Screening & Study Guide available with Educational/Community DVD or Streaming purchase!
Browse Films
Tell a Friend
The Insular Empire
by Vanessa WarheitWhat is it like to be a colonial subject of the greatest democracy on earth?
Watch TrailerTHE INSULAR EMPIRE is the first film to document the United States’ historical – and ongoing – role as a colonial power. Six thousand miles west of California, the Mariana Islands are American territory; but after generations of loyalty, the people of Guam and the Northern Marianas still remain second-class US citizens. Following the personal stories of four indigenous island leaders, this provocative film explores the history of American colonization in the Pacific. It is a moving story of loyalty and betrayal, about a patriotic island people struggling to find their place within the American political family. This landmark film is an ideal cross-disciplinary resource, appropriate for courses in American Studies, US or Pacific History, Colonial and post-Colonial Studies, Ethnic Studies, Native American Studies, Geography, Anthropology, Law, Peace & Conflict Studies, Psychology, Social Work, Sociology, and Political Science.
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such an impressive documentary – The Insular Empire should be a wake-up call for all Americans.
Chalmers Johnson, Author of the Blowback Trilogy and Professor Emeritus, Political Science, UC San Diego
full review
A must-see teaching tool... grapples with the moral and legal questions regarding imperialism, military expansion, and self-determination in a way that is brilliantly incisive without being heavy handed.
J. Kehaulani Kauanui, Associate Professor of American Studies and Anthropology
Wesleyan University
full review
The Insular Empire proves a valuable addition to any classroom across the humanities and social sciences disciplines and, more important, has the potential to find a home in the community at large outside of academia due to its accessibility.
James Perez Viernes
The Contemporary Pacific
full review
A valuable resource for teaching and organizing.
John Junkerman
The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus
This film reveals a neglected chapter of US colonialism and the struggle for justice and democracy that continues to this day. An informative, well done, compassionate story, and a most useful educational tool.
Michael Parenti, author of Contrary Notions and God and His Demons
AWARDS & SCREENINGS:
National PBS broadcast, 2010
Pacific Rim Film Festival, 2010
Critical Race Studies Symposium, UCLA Law School, 2011
University of Hawaii public screening, 2010
Evergreen State College public screening, 2010
Critical Ethnic Studies Conference, UC Irvine, 2011
University of Guam public screening, 2010
Peaceful New Earth Celebration Part II, Tokyo, Japan, 2010
Famoksaiyan Micronesian Conference, University of Washington, 2010
Saipan public screening, 2010
Resource Web Sites
Please note that the study guide is password protected, and only available to those purchasing educational or community versions of the film. If you have already purchased a copy of The Insular Empire, please contact the filmmaker for your access code.
Visit the official website for The Insular Empire
