RUI

Rui, a young resident of an island archipelago threatened by rising sea levels, wakes up in her village after a major high tide. Recently, the tides have come with violent storms, and this one seems to have been particularly devastating.
All communication lines are down, and as the villagers are too busy rebuilding their homes, Rui decides to set out and assess the rest of the island for herself.
Along the way, she encounters other inhabitants, whom she tries to convince that it is no longer safe to stay.

Each has a personal reason that keeps them from leaving: an old man who refuses to abandon the graves of his loved ones; a child searching for her parents in the next village; a fisherman who knows these waters by heart and won’t give up his livelihood.

Rui realizes she needs more information and must find something that will help each of them come to terms with the idea of fleeing. Her investigation leads her to the large seawall that once protected the island from the ocean’s wrath. The devastation she discovers leaves little doubt about the fate of the fishing village sheltered by the barrier — yet she pushes on.

Will her discoveries be enough to convince the islanders?
As she continues her exploration, battling the fury of the elements, Rui must find her way across a landscape transformed by the sea.

Days go by, and the next high tide looms. Rui, along with a few others, begins to prepare for exile. Those who stay behind have shared their stories with her — and helped her understand that she cannot save everyone. As she watches the archipelago fade into the distance, Rui finally accepts the end of her island and the fate of its people, which she is powerless to change.