"a hero among environmentalists"

The documentary on the Maldivian islands was premiered during Toronto International Film Festival.

‘The Island President’, the much anticipated Hollywood documentary has been premiered last night in Toronto, Canada. The film based on Maldives and the President’s endeavour to save his country from the environmental threats was released at 6:30pm (-4 hours GMT) in Toronto’s Bell Lightbox Cinema 2, during the Toronto International Film Festival.

However, the film has had an exclusive viewing for the industry and press at 10:45am yesteroday at Bell Lightbox Cinema 3, before the world premiere.

Produced by Richard Berge and Bonni Cohen, the movie is directed by John Shenk -the director of The Lost Boys of Sudan.

The documentary though dramatic, ventures into the lives of the locals and also gets up close and personal with the President himself who shares his story on how he surpassed the obstacles before him, by becoming the first democratically elected President of the country.

The 100-minute long ‘Island President’ is the story of Mohamed Nasheed, the young and energetic leader of the Maldives, who globe-trots with a mission to bring forth the seriousness of global warming and rising sea levels.

His journey begins at the Copenhagen Climate Summit 2009, where he tries to convince the U.S., China, the E.U. and India, to cut carbon emissions dramatically and immediately, to have even the slimmest chance of saving his country. If he fails, he’ll be forced to figure out where his children and grandchildren will live in the future.

President Mohamed Nasheed and First Lady Laila Ali departed the country on his official trip to Europe and Canada on 8 September 2011.

The President, speaking to reporters before his departure, pointed out that the release of the film will draw much international interest and attention towards the Tourism sector as well as other major concerns within the country.

Day before yesterday, Mr Nasheed was in London en route to the Toronto Film Festival, where he delivered the keynote address at an event on climate change, hosted by former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson. The President is also scheduled to visit France as well as Geneva in New Zealand, where he will address the issue of Human Rights.

President Nasheed was awarded the Champions of the Earth Award, on the Earth Day of 2010, the United Nations’ most prestigious environmental prize at a gala event in Seoul, Republic of Korea.

In August 2010, Newsweek named President Nasheed in its list of ‘world’s ten best leaders’ he was also referred to as a hero among environmentalists.

He held the world’s first underwater cabinet meeting, using sign language to draw attention to what would happen to his country if sea levels continued to rise. And in 2010, he pledged to make his country the first carbon neutral country in the world by 2020.