March 1985, the Rainbow Warrior, the flagship of the Greenpeace fleet, was docked in Auckland, New Zealand. The environmentalists were organizing a large-scale act of protest in order to put a stop to French nuclear testing in Polynesia. On 10th July 1985, a dozen DGSE (French Directorate General of External Security) agents were stationed in New Zealand to launch an operation to sink the Rainbow Warrior at all costs. There was a huge scandal, “an act of state-backed terrorism, an act of war”, declared the New Zealand minister, Geoffrey Palmer. Mitterrand, who had known about the operation from the very beginning, attempted to defuse the crisis. An extensive and pernicious campaign kicked off. 

 

A film by Mélanie Dalsace
Based on an original idea and produced by Anne Labro
Co-written with Barbara Tapie
Presented by Fabrice d'Almeida
Image by Christophe Petit
Original music by Nicolas Neidhardt

A Compagnie des Phares & Balises production
With the participation of RMC Découverte, Toute l'Histoire, Foxtel, Speigel TV, Planète + Poland and the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service
With the support of the Centre National du Cinéma et de l'Image Animée and PROCIREP-ANGOA

© Cie des Phares & Balises - 2018