The Pacific island nation of Kiribati is one of the most remote places on the planet, far removed from the pressures of modern life. The tiny nation (formerly called Gilbert Islands) is in danger of being engulfed by rising water levels or wiped out by patterns of extreme weather.

Kiribati president Anote Tong races to find options, from mass migration to building underwater cities. But the water grows higher and citizens are fleeing the island, leaving behind 4,000 years of Kirabati culture.

Montreal filmmaker Matthieu Rytz’s debut film,  Anote’s  Ark, is a study of the situation; the sweeping cinematography captures the shifting dynamics of climate change while crafting a portrait of the Kiribati people that reveals their strength as they face the looming waters head on.

“The country will be drowned in the next 50 years, no matter the investments and agreements” said in his Kickstarter pitch for the film.  “I am so honored and I feel like I need to tell the story of this nation before it completely drown out.”