Le Sauvetage de l'impossible (2022)

Un fait divers bouleversant!

Nous connaissons tous l'histoire. Ou du moins, nous en avons déjà entendu parler. La fin, comment, pourquoi, qui survit et qui ne survit pas ne sont donc pas un mystère. Malgré tout, ce drama a su nous toucher, nous émouvoir et surtout nous angoisser comme pas possible. La réalisation est impeccable. Les images sont grandioses, l'ambiance humide et chaude de la Thailande est ressentie jusqu'au tréfonds du salon. Les images magnifiques du pays sont transcendés par des couleurs naturels nous donnant l'impression d'y être. La cave est étouffante à souhait et les quelques séquences dans l'eau angoissante, voire terrifiante. La manière dont nous est contée l'histoire est poignante, nous amenant à compatir tout d'abord pour ensuite ressentir la douleur des parents et la terreur des enfants, finalement, nous faire pleurer d'émotion. Chapeau.
Cette douleur de chaque parent confronté à un choix cornélien est magistralement interprétée par les acteurs et la justesse de leur expression et de leur jeu. Sincèrement, je ne sais pas si j'aurais eu le même courage que ces enfants, que ces parents. Ayant une sainte phobie de l'eau, je ne peux qu'imaginer l'horreur de se retrouver coincée et d'avoir à se retrouver sous l'eau à la merci des courants....
C'est un drama qui a su trouver le ton juste, tout dans la pudeur, afin de nous conter non pas les exploits de ces sauveteurs. Mais un conte sur ce que l'humain peut faire dans une situation où l'impossible sonne à tout bout de champ. C'est un monde bien triste actuellement. Et un tel don de soi de toutes ces personnes présents prêt à aider, un tel courage de ces enfants, c'est une lumière, une façon de nous dire que cela existe encore.

Merci pour ce beau drama.

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"Let's find out our fate"

Thai Cave Rescue is a drama that I rated more on feelings than subjective evaluation. This was the first production to be given permission by the boys and their families. Best to remember when watching this that while they strove for authenticity, events and people were changed for dramatic effect. If you are too young to have heard about this real-life event or had no interest in the worldwide reporting at the time, my comments may be spoilery.

I remember hearing about the boys lost in the cave near the Myanmar border with Thailand back in 2018. When they had gone into the cave like they had done before, they didn’t know that a monsoon rain was incoming that flooded much of the cave while they were inside. Like others around the world, I prayed for them every day and scoured the news often to see if they had been found, hoping they were alive. When they were found I rejoiced! But my joy was tempered with the news that getting the boys out of the treacherous cave was close to impossible.

At first it seemed the Thai government had been resistant to foreigners helping but those closest to the scene brought in expert cave divers from around the world. Hydrology specialists, drillers, no stone was unturned in trying to find a way to safely bring the boys out. What the drama didn’t tell was that when the divers were searching for the boys, they found four men who had been working in the cave and struggled to rescue them because the men thrashed around nearly causing death to all of them. Bringing 12 boys and their coach who had been stranded without food for over a week through 4 km/ 2.5 mi of some of the most dangerous underwater paths seemed an insurmountable task. There were underwater openings so small that it required the divers to squeeze through, other places stalactites and stalagmites were like stone teeth. Silt in the water made visibility low. And every day the rescuers raced against the clock as the rains caused the water levels to rise.

This drama did a good job of focusing on certain aspects of the Wild Boars team and the rescue efforts. Even at 6 episodes, the rescue efforts were enormous with 10,000 people on the ground outside the cave. Resources poured in from around the world. People gave of their time, their expertise, their money, and in the case of Thai farmers--their crops. People volunteered with food stalls to feed the people working around the clock to save the boys. The parents were shown in their anguish, praying for their children to once again be held in their arms. The governor dealt not only with his own personnel, but foreigners, the parents, reporters, and higher-ups afraid of losing face if the operation was a failure.

Most importantly, the boys were shown as the children they were. Their young coach taught them meditation to ease their minds and hunger pains. As one of the divers said to him, “You saved these boys, now it’s up to all of us to rescue them.” The Thai Navy SEALs stayed with the boys as others hashed out plans to bring the boys home. The drama didn’t shy away from the hard truth that bringing the boys out might have a low percentage of success. The estimates of success were as low as 30% of the boys surviving.

Beam Papangkorn Lerkchaleampote gave a beautiful performance as the Wild Boars’ coach who was willing to do whatever he could to protect the children in his care. The young actors gave very natural, unpolished performances which actually worked for this documentary style drama. Many of the older Thai actors had the complication of performing in both English and Thai with mixed results. Ek Thaneth Warakulnukroh as the Governor gave a complex performance as the man dealing with maddening officials, heartbreaking parents, overwhelming choices, and Mother Nature’s wrath.

Partially filmed in the actual cave and even the boys’ own homes, the drama felt real. The ever pouring rain could be felt dampening everyone’s spirits. The caves that had been so beautiful as the boys initially walked through became a dark watery monster as the waters rose. And yet people risked their lives, pitched in however they could, and always fought for these boys as if they were their own. It was beautiful to see how people could pull together when there was nothing to gain except helping 13 strangers.

In many ways, the Wild Boars became the world’s children as people rallied around them both physically and in spirit. “I’ve seen Buddhists, Christians, and animists, heads bowed in prayer. I’ve even bowed my own. Whatever you believe, believe in these boys.” Amen, Governor, amen.

20 May 2025

Spoilers:
RIP
Retired Navy SEAL Saman Gunan died underwater in the cave when he lapsed into unconsciousness.
Navy SEAL Beirut Pakbara died months after the rescue from a blood infection he incurred at the cave.
Beam died in 2022 before the drama premiered, found unresponsive in his bed by his family.
Real Wild Boar captain, Duangphet Phromthep died at the age of 17 in the UK by suicide in 2023.

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