A First Glimpse Before Our Last

Change is inevitable — but that does not mean we can’t change anything about it.

That idea took me to the edges of the Earth, to a beautiful, endangered place. And that trip turned into a travel show, with purpose.

There are a lot of problems in our world — compounding, demotivating, systemic, faceless issues — yet we can’t look away. Everyone should, at the very least, know that there is, in our present day, an existentially threatened island nation of incomparable beauty, a “modern Atlantis.” As a kid, I had a fixation with Greek mythology and its world-shattering stories of flawed heroes and the arbitrary forces that could so easily crush them. Maybe that’s why this imagery appealed to me.

The Maldives are an island chain that dots the Indian Ocean. This is the lowest-lying nation in the world. Scientists watch sea levels rise; politicians are prodded to see the writing on a sinking wall, rather than sit around and describe the water. Yet the Maldives may not actually succumb first: one perfect wave could spell disaster to any coastal community anywhere around the globe. “Modern Atlantis” is a way of thinking about the cost of inaction on rising sea levels. If humanity sticks its collective head in the sand, and does nothing to address the urgency before us, the ocean will swallow up some of the most magnificent cultures on Earth.

I became fixated on seeing these places myself: FOMO on entire cultures. I started to think about how we could protect these places for future travelers and future generations.

Before we crowdfunded this project, I was flying over the tar sands development in Alberta, a carbon bomb with an excavation site the size of Florida. Noxious from the fumes, I was floored. I witnessed the plight of the First Nation tribes there, a way of life diminished after generations of tradition. The plight of the people impacted had to be seen — visually absorbed — to be recognized as an urgency requiring comprehensive global engagement.

Tired of fighting climate deniers, Koch Brothers, those misguided by self-interest, I thought “if I could go anywhere in the world to tell these stories, where would I go?” Then I thought, “I need a ******* vacation.”

The Maldives are a popular bucket list destination, a paradise for honeymooners and the people Corona commercials were made for. Private beaches, floating bungalows, all that good shit. But the Maldives is also a locale where tourists can gaze at crystal waters for a month and never interact with the local culture.

If this place, the lowest-lying nation in the world, goes away, tourists will find other resorts, but the residents? Well…

You think too hard about that notion, and it always has a tendency to go dark. How can you avoid that? That’s kind of the subtext of the show: it’s on us to connect with these places and decide if this is the pivotal moment we change for the better, or simply witness a living eulogy. While it’s important to acknowledge the darkness in the world, my therapy is to surround myself with the best of humanity. Together, we stand witness. We discuss how to bring us all back to the light.

This month, our nation’s leaders head to Paris to tackle climate change. They will make promises, and we will all have to work together to keep them. Can individuals do anything meaningful to help save the world? I not only think so; I have documented how some extraordinary heroes in the Maldives are already doing so. Firebrands. Artists. Cultural arbiters. They are on the front lines of change, by necessity. They are working to protect their threatened homeland. Above and below the water, we examine the positive efforts that are being applied to the problems Maldivians face. Their stewardship of the ocean environment takes hold, not simply because they love whale sharks and vibrant coral reefs, but because they understand the interconnectivity of what’s happening in the sea and on the land. We can learn from them.

The Maldives can remind us to take care of our own communities. All global issues demand local actions. It goes beyond politics, but demands political action. To that end, “Last Glimpse” treats “climate change” as a four-letter word. It does so because conservatives invented conservation, and faith-based communities are built on stewardship; but there are just some people that tune out the message the second they hear Al Gore’s voice. The term “climate change” has been demonized by some, but we depict a clear message that can cut through conventional politics: If the water rises 3 feet, this place is under water. No one wants that; so we’d better start working on solutions.

For those moderate republicans and stewards, I made this show. I really hope this project is shared with unlikely audiences because of a refreshing approach and positive tone. Last Glimpse is a gateway drug for people to give a shit. It’s a travel show with purpose. It’s there for people to care about the Maldives, and think about the places that they never want to see disappear. #LastGlimpse is a conversation starter, a bid for the acceleration of innovation in the face of unnaturally severe weather patterns.

By watching, you’re helping. We can create a groundswell of support, which is precisely what we need to take on the generational issue of the twenty-first century.