“Chin and Vasarhelyi shape an overwhelming story into something more intimate and to-the-heart devastating.” – Barry Hertz, Globe and Mail
“An accessible tale of disparate nations and individuals uniting behind a common, noble goal.” – Jessica Kiang, New York Times
“The Rescue is a gripping, unsurprisingly moving early account, one that emphasizes the pluck and ingenuity of its heroes and the resilience and beauty of its survivors.” – Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times
“My favorite TIFF documentary came from Chai Vasarhelyi and Chin, the team behind the Oscar-winning mountain-climber film Free Solo... Like their previous movie, it's just as interested in the highly dangerous hobby of cave-diving.” – David Sims, The Atlantic
THE RESCUE chronicles the enthralling, against-all-odds story that transfixed the world in 2018: the daring rescue of twelve boys and their coach from deep inside a flooded cave in Northern Thailand. Academy Award-winning directors and producers E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Free Solo) keep viewers on the edge of their seats as they use a wealth of never-before-seen material and exclusive interviews to piece together the high stakes mission, highlighting the efforts of the Royal Thai Navy SEALs and US Special Forces and details the expert cave divers' audacious venture to dive the boys to safety. THE RESCUE brings alive one of the most perilous and extraordinary rescues in modern times, shining a light on the high-risk world of cave diving, the astounding courage and compassion of the rescuers, and the shared humanity of the international community that united to save the boys.
Awards: 11 wins, 36 nominations
Winner – People’s Choice Award, Documentary, Toronto International Film Festival, 2021
Winner – Grand Prize, Banff Mountain Film Festival, 2021
Winner – 3 Awards: Best Director, Cinematography, Score, Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards, 2021
Winner – Audience Award, Best Documentary Feature, Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, 2021
Winner – Audience Choice Award, Documentary, Heartland International Film Festival, 2021
Winner – Audience Award, Documentary Feature, Middleburg Film Festival, 2021
Winner – Audience Award, Documentary, Mill Valley Film Festival, 2021
Winner – Cinema Eye Honors Award, The Unforgetables, Cinema Eye Honors Awards, 2022
Winner – Gold List Award for Best Documentary Feature, Gold List, 2022
Nominated – Best Documentary, BAFTA Awards, 2022
Nominated – Best Edited Documentary Feature, American Cinema Editors, 2022
Nominated – SFCS Award, Best Documentary Feature, Seattle Film Critics Society, 2022