On July 10 1985, the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior was docked in Auckland, New Zealand, en route to a protest against French nuclear testing in the South Pacific. Shortly before midnight, a pair of explosions would sink the vessel and tragically claim the life of one of its crew. Rainbow Warrior is the engrossing, stranger-than-fiction story of that fateful event and the ensuing investigation—an investigation that would thrust the unassuming Aukland police force into the centre of a genuine geopolitical conspiracy, and which would ultimately reveal Greenpeace to have been the target of a state-sponsored act of terror. Working from a trove of arresting archival material and featuring new tell-all interviews with the direct historical protagonists, director Edward McGurn has crafted a real-life spy thriller, replete with twists and shocking revelations. Released in an era of renewed nuclear anxiety, and in a moment that has seen Western governments targeting environmental activists with increasingly draconian restrictive measures, Rainbow Warrior is, despite its vintage style, a remarkably present-tense experience.
Now in our 25th year, Planet in Focus is an environmental media arts organization with year-round programming. Our mandate is to produce cultural events that showcase engaging and artistic films that question, explore and tell stories about the world in which we live. We use film as a catalyst for public awareness, discussion and engagement on a broad range of environmental issues.