Fanning Island (also called Tabuaeran or Tahanea) is located 900 miles south of Hawaii and belongs to Kiribati, an island republic in the Central Pacific. Carine Camboulives, Manu Bouvet and their two daughters Lou and Shadé travelled to the remote atoll in the Pacific Ocean, which was discovered by Edmund Fanning in 1798. They also brought a film crew to produce a documentary, which shows their activities and life on the island.

The “Kwai” is a sailing vessel and the only link between the islands of the Pacific Ocean and the rest of the world. It’s the opposite of modern transportation and one of the last sail powered cargo ships. When its load allows, the Kwai carries passengers, like Carine Camboulives, Manu Bouvet and their 2 daughters. The family got dropped off on Fanning Island and were hoping the Kwai will be back in a few weeks to pick them up again.

They share a unique story made of surprising encounters including Bruno, a modern day Robinson, who is the only foreigner, who lives on the island, in extreme isolation. Manu Bouvet and his family had amazing sessions on the water and empty perfect waves. A land where the notion of sustainability is a matter of life & death.

Manu Bouvet: “We just released our latest video “Fanning or the impossibility of an island” that made the official selection of La Rochelle International Film Festival and Anglet International Surf Film Festival. It keeps the same spirit as the previous one, using our water sports to talk about environmental and social challenges. The documentary shows that there are still hidden places on our planet where you still can get a completely clean wave just for yourself…”

Fanning or the impossibility of an Island

Realisation by Greg Scherpe

Additional footage:
Pierre Bouras
Martin Keruzore
Theo Reynal

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