On the French Polynesian island of Tahiti, the High Commissioner of the French Republic De Roller is a calculating man with flawless manners. His role brings him to navigate the high end ‘establishment’ as well as shady venues where he mingles with the locals. But De Roller’s mood has become more cynical as his term of office reaches its end, and he is disconcerted by new developments on the island. There are more and more military personnel around. De Roller chairs a meeting with indigenous representatives who demand to know if there is any truth in the rumour that the French government is preparing to resume nuclear testing on the island. De Roller tells them what they want to hear, but he knows that this personal Eden of his is about to become poisoned. De Roller takes a final tour of his colonial possession – loved and hated in equal measure.
"It’s fascinating to film today’s world and I do so without any ideology, without preconceived ideas or the wish to channel a voice and a stance on the era. I’m only interested in pictures. In this instance, the depiction of a paradise which has us wondering whether it really does exist or whether it’s only a mirage; whether the possible resumption of nuclear testing, the presence of French engineers, corruption, and real estate speculation – whether all of this isn’t in truth the very opposite of paradise, a sort of continuation of colonialism into the 21st century."
- Albert Serra