Filmed in Queensland and Thailand, “Thirteen Lives” re-enacts the horror and thrill, mud and devastation and fury of the elements as well as humanity’s strength against nature.
Filmed in Queensland and Thailand, “Thirteen Lives” re-enacts the horror and thrill, mud and devastation and fury of the elements as well as humanity’s strength against nature.
Ron Howard does it again thirteen lives, Later Apollo 13 (1995) and Everest (2015), Howard and author William Nicholson, turn their eyes to another story of human endurance based on real events. In thirteen livesHoward tells the story of the rescue of 12 boys aged 11 to 16 and their 25-year-old coach trapped in a cave in northern Thailand’s Chiang Rai province.
thirteen lives
the director: ron howard
Throw: Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell, Joel Edgerton, Tom Bateman, Sukolawat Kanarot, Sahajak Boonthnakit, Tyradon Supapunpinyo
StoryChronicling the efforts to rescue a junior football team and their coach trapped in a cave system in northern Thailand
Order: 149 minutes
On June 23, 2018, after football practice, the boys and coach Ekaphon Chanthawong (Teradon Supapunpinyo) decided to explore the Tham Luang Nang Non cave system. A torrential, unseasonal rain floods the caves, trapping the boys and the coach.
When the boys do not return home, the parents and local authorities go to the caves where they find their abandoned bicycles and belongings. The 10-km-long cave system beneath the Doi Nang Non mountain range on the Thailand-Myanmar border has narrow tunnels, twists, turns and dangerous choke points.
A British caveman, Vernon Unsworth, (Louise Fitz-Gerald) who lives in the area and has a deep knowledge of caves, suggests that officials contact the British Cave Rescue Council (BCRC). On 25 June, Thai Navy SEALs led by Captain Arnott (Therapat Sajakul) arrived in search of the missing boys. The Chiang Rai governor, Narongsak Osatanakorn, (Sahaj Boonthanakit) was on his way out when he was asked to stay until the boys were rescued. A former Navy SEAL, Saman Kunan, (Sukolawat Kanarot) is one of many to join the rescue effort.
Even as the fate of the missing boys captures the world’s attention, with help from around the world (including technical assistance at pumps and water withdrawals from India), rescue efforts are hampered by the threat of floods and an impending monsoon. Huh.
On July 2, the British cavers Richard Stanton (Vigo Mortensen) and John Volenthen (Colin Farrell) find the boys and coach four kilometers from the entrance. Getting 13 out is a challenge as none of those trapped are trained divers and the arduous, five-hour journey outside is difficult even for experienced and trained rescuers. Falling oxygen levels and the expectation of a full monsoon outbreak anytime soon, means that defenses have to be stepped up quickly.
The stories of the triumph of the human soul always go on. The help that comes from the four corners of the world or the farmer who diverts water streams to destroy his fields “for the boys” reaffirms one’s faith in humanity. Then there are the boys who, with the help of their instructor, a former monk who teaches them meditation, hang on to their rescue for 18 days.
In addition to Stanton and Volenthen, the rescue team includes Richard Harris (Joel Edgerton), an anesthetist, and cavers whose special skills are called for, Chris Jewell (Tom Bateman) and Jason Mallinson (Paul Gleason).
The actors who brought this incredible story to life are all at the top of their game and despite knowing the end result, Howard has created a gripping story. Shot in Queensland and Thailand, thirteen lives Recreates terror and thrill, mud and devastation and fury of the elements as well as humanity’s strength against nature.
With charged maps and a countdown timer and calendar, heavy rain, prayers to be chanted, steamy hot meals and boys in the dark, Howard has created a certified white-knuckle ride.
Thirteen Lives is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video