He said the island had undergone some radical changes in recent years, including the bringing in of a democratic system of government to replace the previous feudal system.

BBC: Sark civil servant says future vision is 'top priority'

The film's harshly critical commentary on the feudal political system is counterpointed by its equally authentic depiction of village-level democracy.

CNN: REALITY CHECK

In 1951 the political system was a feudal theocracy.

ECONOMIST: An elected leader is the last Tibetan China wants to talk to

Shirley Carre was a social anthropologist from Rochester, New York, who came over from the US in the 1960s to study Sark's feudal system.

BBC: Sark gets first elected leaders

It will be the third election since 2008, when Sark moved from a feudal system of government to a democratically elected one.

BBC: Sark Election 2012: Nominations open

Three centuries ago, when Peter the Great was trying to turn feudal, agrarian Russia into a modern state, he encountered a major source of friction inside the system.

NEWYORKER: Net Impact