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Rebellion review – thoughtful documentary telling the real story behind Extinction Rebellion
How an unlikely bunch of grassroots activists changed the face of climate-change protest in Britain forever
This balanced, thoughtful documentary tells the story of Extinction Rebellion from the inside. It’s directed by first-timers Maia Kenworthy and Elena Sánchez Bellot, who capture the anything-is-possible euphoria of the first wave of protests in April 2019 – activists feeling on the right side of history, no longer powerless and alone with their anxieties about climate change.
One of the activists is Farhana Yamin, an environmental lawyer who superglued herself to Shell’s headquarters in London. A seriously impressive no-nonsense woman, she has spent more than three decades trying to make a difference from the inside, attending nearly every major climate summit since 1991. Frustrated by the blah blah blah and inaction (and the lobbying funded by the fossil fuel industry), she joins the protesters. Her husband beams with pride as the police arrive. Her son taps into his phone: “Mum is being arrested outside Shell” (presumably on the family’s WhatsApp group).
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