Watch The Coconut Revolution

The Coconut Revolution is a 2001 documentary-style film that tells the story of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) and their fight for independence from Papua New Guinea. The movie is directed by Dom Rotheroe and stars real-life BRA leaders Joseph Kabui and Francis Ona. The story of the Coconut Revolution begins in the late 1960s when the Australian mining company Conzinc Rio Tinto (Copper) discovers vast deposits of copper and gold on the island of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea. The company builds a giant open-pit mine that severely damages the local ecosystem and dislocates thousands of Bougainvilleans from their homes.

After years of struggling to make their voices heard, the Bougainvilleans start to take matters into their own hands. In 1989, the BRA, led by Ona and Kabui, launches a successful attack on the mine, forcing its closure and sparking a civil war that lasts for over a decade.

The Coconut Revolution follows the BRA's guerrilla campaign against Papua New Guinea's military and the Australian-led peacekeeping force, known as the Peace Monitoring Group (PMG). The movie shows how the Bougainvilleans use their intimate knowledge of the dense rainforest and their reliance on the coconut tree to outmaneuver and outlast their opponents.

The BRA employs a range of unconventional tactics, including sabotaging military equipment and infrastructure, training their soldiers to climb tall coconut trees to evade detection, and using coconut oil to fuel their generators and vehicles. These methods prove to be incredibly effective, and the Bougainvilleans are able to hold their ground despite facing a technologically advanced and better-equipped enemy.

The movie also touches on the humanitarian crisis that the conflict causes. The Bougainvilleans are cut off from the outside world, and essential supplies like food, medicine, and fuel are scarce. The BRA imposes strict laws to maintain order and punish wrongdoers, including summary executions and the punishment of looters.

Despite these challenges, the BRA perseveres, and in 1997, they manage to negotiate a ceasefire with Papua New Guinea. The Coconut Revolution ends with the signing of the Bougainville Peace Agreement in 2001, which grants Bougainville autonomy and a pathway to potential independence.

Throughout the film, Kabui and Ona provide firsthand accounts of the events and reflect on the sacrifices and challenges that came with fighting for their people's freedom. They also share their hopes and plans for the future of Bougainville, stressing the importance of reconciliation and sustainable development.

Overall, The Coconut Revolution is a gripping and inspiring story of a community's fight for self-determination in the face of overwhelming odds. The film skillfully blends documentary footage with dramatizations to bring the story to life and capture the bravery and resourcefulness of the Bougainvilleans.

The Coconut Revolution is a 2011 documentary with a runtime of 52 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 8.3.