Jan 05, 20 maria belon alvarez was badly wounded as she was dragged under water by the vast indian ocean tsunami of boxing day 2004. A powerful story based on one family s survival of the 2004 indian ocean tsunami, the impossible stars naomi watts and ewan mcgregor and is directed by j. The noisy plane swooping over the ocean brings the belon family to. As you may recall, this was the day that a giant tsunami hit southeast asia, devastating thailand and leaving death and destruction in its wake. When the tsunami subsides, the films dubious racial politics make an unwelcome. It was a great pressure and responsibility to get it right because of what she went through and how much she suffered, watts says of. The noisy plane swooping over the ocean brings the belon family to thailand to. Her new memoir recounts the events of that fateful day. After the wave hit and swept her away from her family, she was able to.
International tragedy through the lens of intimate family. The closer the waves got to land, the more threateningtohumans they became. The tsunami itself, depicted using a mixture of miniatures and digital effects, is dramatically stunning, but this film is really about the human interest in the aftermath. After the banda aceh quake in the indian ocean, the vacationing family rips apart as tsunami waves hit their phuket beach. It is based on the experience of maria belon and her family in the. His familys survival story inspired the 2012 film the impossible. The alvarezbelon familys story is moving, dramatic and true, and.
What a miraculous story of survival, courage, and family love. Naomi watts shared impossible with family washington times. Quique alvarez, his wife maria belon and their three young children were swept away by a massive wall of water as they lounged around the. Tsunami survivors impossible story hits the big screen bbc news. Maria belon was intimately involved in the process of making the movie, choosing her favourite actress, naomi watts to portray her and. After i first saw the impossible i went onto my computer and researched this tsunami as well as others and then i really understood how devestating it really was.
The tsunami survivor who lost her whole family world. I cant begin to tell you what an honor and a privilege it was to be sitting across from maria belon, a spanish doctor who, along with her husband and three sons, miraculously survived the 2004 indian ocean tsunami. Moments later the belonalvarez family was swept apart by the torrential force of the indian ocean tsunami of 2004. A family offive whose miraculous survival in the boxing day tsunami has been turned into a hollywood film today relived their ordeal as their story prepares to hit the big screen. Dec 20, 2012 the impossible is technologically a marvelthe tsunami experience is harrowingly believablebut also emotionally rich. The impossible is beautifully accurate, writes tsunami survivor. The impossible is technologically a marvelthe tsunami experience is harrowingly believablebut also emotionally rich. Dec 26, 2012 the impossible is based on the true story of the alvarez belon family. Moments later the belon alvarez family was swept apart by the torrential force of the indian ocean tsunami of 2004.
Jan 21, 20 moments later the belon alvarez family was swept apart by the torrential force of the indian ocean tsunami of 2004. A tsunami was born, and it began traveling around 500 miles an hour. Tsunami books has always been more than just an independent, locally owned bookstore. The impossible 710 movie clip reunited 2012 hd youtube. Maria bennett naomi watts and her husband henry ewan mcgregor are expat brits living in japan when they decide to spend christmas at a beachfront resort in. True story of the impossible miracle survival of family. Ewan mcgregor on recreating boxing day tsunami disaster the scottish actor describes the challenge of doing justice to the true life story of a familys struggle to. Jan 31, 20 this is based on a true story of a spanish familys survival during the 2004 tsunami that killed 230,000 people in 14 countries. This is how maria belon, the reallife heroine of the 2012 film the impossible, began her talk at ieses recent executive mba day belon defines herself as a normal person who had the luck to live an exceptional experience, in reference to the indian ocean earthquake and tsunami that struck the beach. He is now a passionate campaigner for disaster risk. Bayona, who is known for horror film the orphanage. A familys survival of the 2004 tsunami has inspired spains highest grossing film, says padraic killeen.
Belon has joined watts and the filmmakers at premieres. The impossible is beautifully accurate, writes tsunami survivor film. What started as a series of ripples became a series of waves moving ever nearer to the indianocean shoreline of many countries. Bayonas the orphanage was amazing, and he has directed another great film in this one. Spanishborn tomas alvarez belon s life changed forever on 26 december 2004, when he was caught up in the tragedy of the indian ocean tsunami. Naomi watts plays a tourist whose family is torn apart by a tsunami in the impossible. The impossible is beautifully accurate, writes tsunami. Maria belon naomi watts, her husband henry belon ewan mcgregor and their kids lucas, thomas and simon, are visiting thailand for their christmas vacation. Christy grosz is editor of awardsline when the production team behind summits the impossible met with 2004 indian ocean tsunami survivor maria belon at a quiet coffee shop in barcelona in the. However, their holiday is cut short on the morning of december 26, 2004, by the tsunami. The family was cast into a lethal current swirling with fallen trees, debris and.
Administration edit the khao lak region falls almost entirely within the khuk khak subdistrict tambon of the takua pa district. My name is maria belon, and i, like all of you, have survived a tsunami. Lo imposible is a englishlanguage spanish disaster drama film directed by j. Mar 09, 20 sonali deraniyagala lost her husband, children and parents in the 2004 indian ocean tsunami, and was maddened with grief. Both for my then 16yearold self and the belon family, it was the thai people who waded through the settled water after the first wave had struck. Its a true story, based on maria belon and her family, vacationing from spain when the tsunami hit. It would take five years, but finally, they have brought the familys story to the screen. In thailand, the familys peaceful vacation aside the resort pool is disrupted by feeble tremors in the ground, only for the family to see the mass tsunami wave that strikes the resort with the. Unfortunately, tsunamis do not stop once they hit the beach. Naomi watts shares a hilarious then and now of herself gardening amid coronavirus the actress said she started doing weight training to keep up. The impossible accurately portrays their experiences during and after the tsunami, switching out the nationality of the family to that of a british family and changing their names to maria and henry bennett. Director juan antonio bayona follows up his criticallyacclaimed feature debut the orphanage with this drama set during the 2004 tsunami, and.
Dec 15, 2017 she was petrified, alone and convinced she was dying but in a miracle that inspired the impossible, the mum and her family survived. The impossible real life tsunami survivor maria belon. This is based on a true story of a spanish familys survival during the 2004 tsunami that killed 230,000 people in 14 countries. The audience understands, however, that the first few. After the tsunami calmed down, belon was able to swim to land with. In sri lanka, a wall of water washes 15 miles inland and destroys a train and the tracks as easily and quickly as if. Tsunami survivor maria belon reflects on the impossible. With naomi watts, ewan mcgregor, tom holland, oaklee pendergast. The next day, after the tsunami had struck, there would be moments in which you would be working to help clear debris, and suddenly, locals around you would start to run. What has saved her, she tells tim adams, is daring to remember and to. In december of 2004, maria belon and her family were among the many who experienced firsthand one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the world when a tsunami overwhelmed large swaths of southeast asia including the coastal resort area of thailand where belon and her family were spending the holidays. Sonali deraniyagala lost her husband, children and parents in the 2004 indian ocean tsunami, and was maddened with grief. Jan 15, 20 we also talked about the post 24 hour false tsunami warnings.
Other tsunami survivors have praised the accuracy of the movie too, so we can be reasonably satisfied that the representation of the disaster closely mirrors what happened. Based on the tragic events of boxing day 26th december 2004, the impossible tells the story of one familys terrifying experience of the tsunami which tore apart the lives of so many people. She was portrayed in the 2012 film the impossible by naomi. The impossible is not a film about the 2004 indian ocean tsunami. Belon helped watts throughout the production and assisted with pivotal scenes in thailand after the family returned to the country for a set visit. Its matriarch, maria, was onset during filming and proved a constant source of inspiration to the production. The impossible 2012 the impossible is based on a true story about a family that survives the 2004 tsunami that devastated thailand. It is adapted from the true story of the belon family from spain who were on holiday in thailand when the disaster struck. The impossible is a new film based on a true story of a spanish family vacationing in khao lak, thailand, during the 2004 tsunamia disaster that claimed 230,000 lives. Like the experience of the family separated by the tsunami, the narrative is split between maria and lucas journey and henrys with the two younger boys, though the. Amazing true story of one familys survival during a tsunami in thailand. What makes the film even more compelling is that it is based on the true story of the belon family whom encountered the boxing day tsunami in 2006.
The story of a tourist family in thailand caught in the destruction and chaotic aftermath of the 2004 indian ocean tsunami. I found it powerful and moving, and think it was brilliantly done. I realized that with the subject matter being the 2004 tsunami in southeast asia this. The 2004 tsunami killed 220280,000 people in 14 different countries, making it the sixth deadliest natural disaster in recorded history. At least 510 times, false warnings would be spread via cell phones to other cell phones. Watts who is the reallife mother of two sons with actor liev schreiber was instantly attracted to the story, as she explained at the films recent junket. We also talked about the post 24 hour false tsunami warnings. In december of 2004, maria belon and her family were among the many who experienced firsthand one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the world when a tsunami overwhelmed large swaths of southeast asia including the coastal resort area of thailand where.
Even though its set during that horrific tragedy, its really the story of one familys really bad christmas vacation. But she and her family survived and their incredible story has inspired. As a result of that day, the two forged a connection. In thailand, the family s peaceful vacation aside the resort pool is disrupted by feeble tremors in the ground, only for the family to see the mass tsunami wave that strikes the resort with the. May 19, 2016 director juan antonio bayona follows up his criticallyacclaimed feature debut the orphanage with this drama set during the 2004 tsunami, and detailing one family s incredible fight for survival. A powerful story based on one familys survival of the 2004 indian ocean tsunami, the impossible stars naomi watts and ewan mcgregor and is directed by j. Mar 05, 20 sonali deraniyagala lost her husband, two sons and parents to the indian ocean tsunami that claimed the lives of more than 200,000 people. Sonali deraniyagala lost her husband, two sons and parents to the indian ocean tsunami that claimed the lives of more than 200,000 people.
Based on a true story, the impossible is the unforgettable account of a family caught, with tens of thousands of strangers, in the mayhem of one of the worst natural. Among the people who got swept up by the wave were the belon family, who were on holiday. Jan 04, 20 the impossible is beautifully accurate, writes tsunami survivor. Maria belon and her family attend the premiere image.
I hesitate to use this term, since it is so often equated with hokey, but the impossible is lifeaffirming. Sanchez, producer belen atienza, and real life survivor maria belon. She was severely injured in the tsunami and nearly died. In thailand, it was peaceful, warm a nice day for a family vacation.
I thank god that he was looking after each member of the belon family during their terrible ordeal. Although i havent seen the movie, the book addressed the chinese in. Maria belon born may 12, 1966 is a spanish physician and motivational speaker, known for surviving the 2004 indian ocean earthquake and tsunami when she was on vacation in thailand with her husband enrique quique alvarez and three sons lucas, simon and tomas alvarez. Dec 20, 2012 like the experience of the family separated by the tsunami, the narrative is split between maria and lucas journey and henrys with the two younger boys, though the mother and son arc dominates. The story behind the indian ocean tsunami warning system the kernel the daily dot by nithin coca on november 29, 2015 it took nearly three hours for the 2004 indian ocean tsunami, the deadliest natural disaster in human history, to travel from its epicenter near sumatra, indonesia, to the eastern coasts of india and sri lanka. The tsunami survivor who lost her whole family world news. Even though its set during that horrific tragedy, its really the story of one family s really bad christmas vacation.
Dec 10, 20 the impossible accurately portrays their experiences during and after the tsunami, switching out the nationality of the family to that of a british family and changing their names to maria and henry bennett. Definately worth watching and be sure to watch the special features at the end of the film. Our parents were killed in the tsunami we survived but it pushed us to a. Holidaying in thailand at christmas, 2004, maria naomi watts, henry ewan mcgregor and their three boys are having an idyllic vacation. Maria belon alvarez was badly wounded as she was dragged under water by the vast indian ocean tsunami of boxing day 2004. Spanishborn tomas alvarez belons life changed forever on 26 december 2004, when he was caught up in the tragedy of the indian ocean tsunami.
Dec 21, 2012 a familys impossible journey of healing. The impossible is based on the true story of the alvarez belon family. They are interested in the bennett family or in maria belons family, to be. The family plans to spend a few days at a picturesque tropical paradise resort.
48 231 280 1141 250 931 828 973 624 898 1261 1404 133 795 1214 42 1586 640 282 545 1589 1456 1145 220 624 89 1659 73 436 204 107 809 1237 641 1345 945 374 658 729 543 436 1243 843 1162