Making Waves: Rebirth of the Golden Rule
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25 minutes, USA, 2017
n 1958, retired Navy Captain Albert Bigelow had an epiphany. As a Quaker, he was alarmed by the escalating nuclear arms race, but petitions and picket lines weren't working. He knew something more needed to be done to alert the world to the devastating effects of nuclear radiation on people and the planet. So he purchased a 30 ft. wooden sail boat, Golden Rule, gathered a crew, and set said for the Marshall Islands, in a brave attempt to halt testing by sailing directly into the US nuclear testing zone. When he and the crew were arrested and jailed in Hawaii, public outcry for their release sparked a movement that led to the signing of the Limited Test Ban Treaty in 1963.
Sixty years later, Veterans for Peace has restored this historic wooden boat and embarked on a global mission of education and outreach. Shot on board the Golden Rule during a protest of the Navy's Air and Sea show in San Diego Bay, the film features interviews of veterans whose stories illuminate the true costs of warfare.
Nuclear tension is once again at a highpoint in the world. Yet, there is hope. With 122 nations supporting last year's landmark UN Treaty to Ban Nuclear Weapons, there is a clear mandate to abolish these weapons of mass destruction forever. In 2019, the Golden Rule will re-create her original mission by sailing to Hawaii and the Marshall Islands to focus attention on this urgent issue, and promote a message of peace to the world.
Director(s): James A. Knight
Producer(s):