The title comes from a South Pacific island that can be interpreted as a far away dreamland for the two main characters caught up an old world that is fighting the modern age to the end. This lush, fantastical movie was filmed in black and white and later tinted. For the exterior shots, a cold blue is used; for the interiors, a warm sepia glaze is employed while two dream sequences look overexposed in acid colors. This movie was shot in Sophia, Bulgaria, in a world I could never have imagined in this day and age. Its actors were gathered from all over the globe. French Next Wave actor Denis Lavant plays along side Russian newcomer Chulpan Hamatova and old guard actor Philippe Clay.

Anton (Denis Lavant) helps his blind father (Philippe Clay) run a public bathing house. The business that was once booming is now all but forgotten. Anton has created an elaborate ruse that includes a looped tape of happy beach sounds to fool his father into thinking the business is still a success. This is Anton’s life until the nymph-like Eva (Chulpan Hamatova) crosses his field of vision. When Eva and her retired sea captain father visit the pool, Anton is smitten for what seems the first time in his life. Through a series of events, the two would-be lovers are kept apart, but not before sensual flirting ensues. The plot also involves Anton’s older brother Gregor (Terrence Gillespie) who is hell bent on knocking down the pool to make way for modernity. Gregor, a real-estate mogul of sorts, will try anything to achieve his utopian dream of “Technology System Profit”, even murder. A comical and elaborate portion of this movie is spent on the inspection Gregor initiates in order to condemn the building. But never fear, all is well that ends well in this fairy tale for the modern age.

It is rare to find a movie made so lovingly. Director Veit Helmer has created his own style while paying homage to many before him. Incredible cinematography, lighting, acting, and sets, create a movie like no other. It’s closet cinematic brothers being Caro and Jeunet’s Delicatessen and Fritz Lang’s Metropolis. This movie could be classified as Science Fiction’s first SteamPunk movie. It is not alien hokey or apocalyptic, but you do get the feeling that this is what could have happened if technology progressed more rapidly at the end of the 20th Century.

The best and worst part of this film is the lack of dialogue. While you and I will find that alluring, most pedestrian moviegoers used to big budget Hollywood would probably be bored to tears. Small, indecipherable sounds, the characters addressing each other by name, a mixed language bag of exclamations, and an industrial noise background are all the audible portions you will get. This story does not need dialogue though. Through their scenery, facial expressions and movements the actors tell us all we need to know to progress the story.

Although this film is in limited release in theatres around the U.S. (since it was originally released in 1998), it has already won several awards, including the Slamdance jury prize for best cinematography. This is director Veit Helmer’s first feature length film, if you can call a 101-minute film a feature length today. He received very limited backing for this film because everyone told him he could not make a virtually silent movie for today’s market. On barely two million dollars, Helmer created a cinematic masterpiece better than most 10 million dollar movies today. If you have the opportunity to see Tuvalu in the theater or can rent it (in Canada) at your local video store in foreign film section, don’t miss it.