The Rainbow Warriors of Waiheke Island

On July 10, 1985, the Rainbow Warrior, the flagship of environmental organisation Greenpeace, was sunk by bombs placed by the French secret service, killing one of the full-time crew members. The attack was a response to the Greenpeace campaign against nuclear tests on Mururoa Atoll, a campaign that was having an immense impact on public opinion regarding the tests. Some of the original crew is now living together in a harmonious community on Waiheke Island, New Zealand. In this film, they recall the beginnings of the Rainbow Warrior. Some Dutch money and a huge amount of effort from volunteers transformed this rusty old ship into the symbol of environmental activism. It becomes clear that Greenpeace's driving force was idealism and enthusiasm rather than planning and organization. Few of those involved were conscious of the dangers they would expose themselves to and what a huge impact their campaigns would have. In addition to interviews with six original members and impressions of their current lives in a less-than-ideal society, the film contains a plethora of archive material. This includes shocking images of the consequences of the French nuclear tests, exciting action-packed footage of brave little rubber boats up against threatening whalers, and joyous home movies that bear witness to the exceptional sense of camaraderie that existed on the legendary ship.