The Rainbow Warriors of Waiheke Island
Director Suzanne Raes
Countries Netherlands
Duration 87 min
Synopsis
In July 1985, the Rainbow Warrior, the flagship of the Greenpeace fleet, was bombed by the French secret service and a crewman killed. In this documentary, six members of the original crew, now living on New Zealand’s Waiheke Island (a ferry ride from the site of the infamous sabotage), recall the Warrior’s involvement in campaigns against whaling in the North Atlantic and nuclear testing in the Pacific; including the harrowing story of evacuating Marshall Islanders from an atoll rendered toxic by nuclear tests. Looking back they reflect on the impact of the campaigns, the camaraderie, the death of their colleague and the changing nature of activism. Their lives on this idyllic island, making chutney and growing organic veggies, seem far removed from their days on the high seas but each in their own way is still fighting for a different world.
In July 1985, the Rainbow Warrior, the flagship of the Greenpeace fleet, was bombed by the French secret service and a crewman killed. In this documentary, six members of the original crew, now living on New Zealand’s Waiheke Island (a ferry ride from the site of the infamous sabotage), recall the Warrior’s involvement in campaigns against whaling in the North Atlantic and nuclear testing in the Pacific; including the harrowing story of evacuating Marshall Islanders from an atoll rendered toxic by nuclear tests. Looking back they reflect on the impact of the campaigns, the camaraderie, the death of their colleague and the changing nature of activism. Their lives on this idyllic island, making chutney and growing organic veggies, seem far removed from their days on the high seas but each in their own way is still fighting for a different world.