Fight for the Pacific

Four-part film series for Al Jazeera English

A film series by Tuki Laumea and Cleo Fraser

A four part film series shot across 10 countries investigating the China v West battle for influence in the Pacific region, with a focus on what it means for everyday people.

Watch Episode One

What’s happening in the Pacific right now?

As global powers vie for control, the Pacific is becoming a frontline of economic, military, and environmental conflict. This four-part documentary series explores the region’s most urgent stories — told directly by the people living them.

From nuclear fallout to Chinese influence, land rights to climate resilience — Fight for the Pacific centres Indigenous and regional voices in a time of rising global tension.

The Episodes

Episode 1: The Battlefield

As China and the U.S. vie for influence in the Pacific, this film explores Kanak independence struggles in New Caledonia and the lasting impact of WWII’s Pacific Theatre of war, revealing a region caught in a geopolitical crossfire.

Launched May 21 on Al Jazeera English

Episode 2: The Fallout Zone

From Hawai‘i to the Marshall Islands, this film uncovers the lasting scars of U.S. militarisation and nuclear testing, as Pacific communities fight for justice, sovereignty, and the survival of their land and identity.

Launched May 28 on Al Jazeera English

Episode 3: China’s Pacific Wave

As Chinese investment transforms economies in Vanuatu, Tonga, and Samoa, this film explores the tensions between development, debt, and the struggle for Pacific nations to maintain economic independence.

Launched June 4 on Al Jazeera English

Episode 4: Rising Tides; Shifting Powers

As rising sea levels and global power struggles reshape the Pacific, this film explores the fight for sovereignty, cultural survival, and environmental justice in island nations on the frontline of climate change.

Launched June 11 on Al Jazeera English