r/Documentaries • u/stammerton • 2h ago
Palestine/Israel My Name Is Rachel Corrie (2008) - SBS documentary examines the American activist killed in Gaza and the controversy surrounding the stage play based on her writings [00:13:34]
On 16 March 2003, Rachel Corrie, a 23-year-old American peace activist from Olympia, Washington, was killed by an Israeli military bulldozer while attempting to prevent the demolition of Palestinian homes in Rafah, Gaza.
Five years later, Australian broadcaster SBS examined the controversy surrounding My Name Is Rachel Corrie, a one-woman theatrical production assembled from Corrie’s personal diaries and emails by Alan Rickman and journalist Katharine Viner.
Reported by Amos Roberts for SBS’s Dateline, this documentary follows the play’s Australian production, starring Belinda Bromilow, while exploring the circumstances surrounding Corrie’s death and the political debate generated by her activism.
Featuring interviews with Corrie’s parents, theatre practitioners and commentators representing opposing perspectives, the programme examines the play’s reception, accusations of political bias and the postponement of its planned New York production in 2006.
The documentary also includes archival footage of Corrie, extracts from her writings and discussion of the International Solidarity Movement, with which she volunteered in Gaza.
Produced by SBS Australia and distributed by Journeyman Pictures.