Documentary Channel Lines Up Exclusive U.S. Premiere

NASHVILLE: On July 9 at 8:30 p.m., Documentary Channel (DOC) will present the exclusive U.S. TV premiere of The Rainbow Warriors of Waiheke Island, which chronicles six Greenpeace pioneers after the 1985 bombing of the Rainbow Warrior ship by the French Secret Service.

The feature-length documentary tells the story of a group of young European activists who, in 1978, bought an old fishing boat in an effort to save whales as part of the Greenpeace movement. The ship traveled from Europe to America, yet the mission came to a tragic end in 1985 when the ship was bombed by French Secret Service. The six remaining crew members all continue to fight for the preservation of the world. They all live together on Waiheke Island and recount their stories in this doc. 

“Twenty-five years from the sabotage of the iconic mother ship, there is a renewed commitment to the rights of Mother Earth,” said Susi Newborn, former Greenpeace activist and Rainbow Warrior crew member. “Even though the ship is now a reef off the North Island of Aotearoa, New Zealand, you just can’t sink a rainbow and her spirit lives on in the next generation of eco-warriors, and those to come.”

“Suzanne Raes’ film will draw in viewers by touching their hearts with the tragic bombing of the Rainbow Warrior,” added Kate Pearson, Documentary Channel’s senior VP of programming. “This documentary provides a human interest story green audiences can sincerely relate and identify with.”