Direction: Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
Country: USA
The Rescue is an absolutely must-see documentary about 12 young soccer players (aged 11 to 16) and their 25-year-old coach who got trapped in a flooded cave in Northern Thailand during the monsoon season. The occurrence took place on June 23, 2018, and has moved the world, with people from everywhere setting foot in the Chiang Rai province where the Tham Luang Nam Non cave is located. With the danger looming, some never-attempted measures were implemented to make this a successful operation involving experts to volunteers.
The directors and marital partners, Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, did another great job here, following up praised works such as Meru (2015) and Free Solo (2018). They narrate the facts with the help of footage, interviews and several explanatory images that don’t leave margin for doubt. Further detail emerges about the difficulties and pressure encountered on site, the myth and creeds behind the operations, and the diligence and generosity of many people, including the skillful English cave divers Rick Stanton and John Volanthen (true heroes who risked their lives), and the Australian Dr. Richard Harris, who besides being an experienced diver, was fundamental from a medical point of view.
Suspenseful and powerful from minute one until the end, the film provides a harrowing look at how an apparently safe gathering could veer into a nerve-racking, life-threatening situation. It’s also a moving scenario of perseverance and faith. One advice, though: watch it with precaution if you’re claustrophobic and prone to panic attacks.
