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Rory Kennedy revisits Boeing in new film sparked by whistleblower’s death: ‘We’ve got to stay at this’
Film-maker talks about her documentary on John Barnett, the Boeing whistleblower who killed himself in 2024
TL;DR
- Rory Kennedy's new documentary, Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing, investigates safety concerns at the aircraft manufacturer.
- The film was motivated by the death of John Barnett, a Boeing whistleblower who died by suicide in 2024.
- Barnett had previously featured in Kennedy's 2022 film, Downfall: The Case Against Boeing.
- Barnett documented issues such as the installation of defective parts and a 25% failure rate in 787 emergency oxygen systems.
- The documentary suggests a decline in safety standards began with the arrival of CEO Jim McNerney in 2005, who implemented a profit-driven philosophy.
- Boeing has previously expressed confidence in its safety standards and disputed 'inaccurate' claims.
- Kennedy expresses personal reservations about flying certain Boeing models and remains skeptical about the company's commitment to safety improvements.
- The article also touches on Kennedy's views regarding the Trump administration's attempt to rename the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.