Based on the true nail-biting mission that captivated the world. An international team of elite divers is mobilized to rescue a boys soccer team trapped in a cave by rising floodwaters.
When a youth football team of 12 boys, aged 11-16, and their 25-year-old coach is trapped deep inside a cave in Northern Thailand, thousands of volunteers and soldiers from around the world unite in a race against time to find them. Once the boys are found alive ten days later, the only way out is an impossible five-hour dive-swim that only expert cave divers could survive. In Ireland, airplane factory electrician and recreational cave diver Jim Warny gets the call: "How soon can you be here?" Arriving in Thailand, Jim steps off the plane and into the cave - a knife-edge three-day mission is underway. Based on true events, THE CAVE tells the thrilling story of the largest international rescue mission of modern times, from the unique perspective of the men and women facing life-and-death decisions and displaying selfless determination and sacrifice, culminating in a triumphant outcome against all the odds.
In the summer of 2018, the world was transfixed by the plight of a Thai boys' football team trapped in a flooded cave for over two weeks. Against all odds, the boys were rescued in a daring and difficult mission thanks to an international coalition of divers and experts. It's a story made for the movies, and Thai-Irish director Tom Waller (Petchakat (2014)) adds an extra dose of realism to the nail-biting tension: four divers recruited for the mission play themselves in this stirring account of a human miracle. Focusing on the rescue efforts, the film uses a journalistic style in taking us to the chaotic, multilingual base camp and into the dark waters of the cave with the divers. Waller lays out the daunting logistics and risks of the rescue mission with clarity and urgency as they unfold against a background of local Thai culture and spirituality. This unsentimental yet moving tribute to the heroism and humanity of those, from all walks of life, who cared and sacrificed for the boys encapsulates why the story captured people's imagination in the first place.—Vancouver International Film Festival
People power and authenticity drive this dramatic study of the July 2018 rescue of the Wild Boars football team, trapped in the Tham Luang cave in northern Thailand. The situation had all the elements of a movie - a daring mission, impossible odds, and, most importantly, a happy ending. It's this last detail that would seemingly hamper any film adaptation - how do you tell a story where everyone knows how it ends? The solution is simple. Without compromising the inherent tension, Thai/Irish director Tom Waller focuses on the human element, showcasing a wide range of the thousands of people involved in the rescue. Several key participants portray themselves in this retelling, adding to its verisimilitude. With Hollywood versions inbound, it's appropriate that a Thai adaptation came first. This impressive film is likely to be the definitive realisation.—Byron Bay Film Festival
When a youth football team of 12 boys, aged 11-16, and their 25-year-old coach is trapped deep inside a cave in Northern Thailand, thousands of volunteers and soldiers from around the world unite in a race against time to find them. Once the boys are found alive ten days later, the only way out is an impossible five-hour dive-swim that only expert cave divers could survive. In Ireland, airplane factory electrician and recreational cave diver Jim Warny gets the call: "How soon can you be here?"; Arriving in Thailand, Jim steps off the plane and into the cave - a knife-edge three-day mission is underway. Based on true events, CAVE RESCUE tells the thrilling story of the largest international rescue mission of modern times, from the unique perspective of the men and women facing life-and-death decisions and displaying selfless determination and sacrifice, culminating in a triumphant outcome against all the odds.—Pingyao International Film Festival
