‘Pacific Heartbeat’ offers an authentic glimpse into island art and culture
Dive into the Pacific Islander experience with Pacific Heartbeat, a series that explores the unique art, culture and traditions of the Pacific Islands. Each episode focuses on a different aspect of Pacific Islander life, from dance to music to food, giving viewers a diverse look into the heart and soul of the Pacific Islands. Three episodes air on Mondays at 9 p.m. in August on WSBE Rhode Island PBS.
Episode 901: “Anote’s Ark” – August 9 at 9 p.m.
Explore one of the most remote places on the planet, the Pacific Island nation of Kiribati, in “Anote’s Ark” (photo) the season 9 premiere of Pacific Heartbeat. With a population of just 100,000, Kiribati is one of the first countries that must confront the imminent danger of rising sea levels. While Kiribati’s President Anote Tong races to find a way to protect his nation’s people, others, like young mother of six Tiemeri, fights to migrate her family to New Zealand. At stake is the survival of Tiemeri’s family, the Kiribati people, and 4,000 years of Kiribati culture.
Episode 902: “Power Meri” – August 16 at 9 p.m.
“Power Meri” follows Papua New Guinea’s first national women’s rugby league team, the PNG Orchids, on their journey to the 2017 World Cup in Australia. These trailblazers must beat not only the sporting competition, but also intense sexism, a lack of funding, and national prejudice to reach their biggest stage yet. After years playing at grassroots level with no coaches, funding or support, the PNG Orchids have just three months to transform themselves into a competitive national team to take up an invitation to compete on the world stage.
Episode 903: “Born This Way” – August 23 at 9 p.m.
"Born This Way" tells the story of Te Awarangi 'Awa' Puna, an openly transgender Maori teen attending her final year at Kapiti College in Wellington, New Zealand. Along with learning about Awa’s struggles and triumphs in living her most authentic life, viewers will also get an intimate glimpse into the lives of those who formed the first visible group of transgender men in the Pacific Islands, The Rogers of Samoa. While still facing many obstacles, their stories illustrate the power that comes when those rejected by society create their own community.
WSBE Rhode Island PBS transmits over the air in high definition on digital 36.1; Cox 08 / 1008HD, Verizon FiOS 08 / 508HD, and Full Channel 08; Comcast 819HD and Verizon FiOS 18 / 518HD in MA; DirecTV 36, Dish Network 36. Live stream the full broadcast schedule at watch.ripbs.org/livestream.
