Miracle mum relives 2004 tsunami ordeal which inspired new. He is now a passionate campaigner for disaster risk. With naomi watts, ewan mcgregor, tom holland, oaklee pendergast. Get premium, high resolution news photos at getty images. The 2004 indian ocean earthquake and tsunami occurred at 00. The earthquake was caused by a rupture along the fault between the burma plate and the indian plate. The impossible 2012 the impossible is based on a true story about a family that survives the 2004 tsunami that devastated thailand.
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. Maria was not out of the woods even after leaving thailand she spent 14 months in hospitals in singapore and their homeland spain but the familys astonishing survival was a rare example of good luck. Spanish physician and motivational speaker best known for surviving the 2004 indian ocean earthquake and tsunami when she was vacationing in thailand. 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. Mother maria bennet, an exdoctor, is swept out in the tidal wave with oldest son lucas. Its a true story, based on maria belon and her family, vacationing from spain when the tsunami hit. Nullam quis risus eget urna mollis ornare vel eu leo. The film follows their struggle to survive, injured and separated, in the aftermath and their perseverance 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. Our parents were killed in the tsunami we survived but it pushed us to a. A 2012 film about one familys impossible story during the boxing day tsunami. The impossible is not a film about the 2004 indian ocean tsunami.
Her story is the subject of juan antonio bayonas the impossible, an emotional and riveting account of the 2004 tsunami. The impossible 2012 movie simple english wikipedia. Tsunami survivors impossible story hits the big screen. Lo imposible is a 2012 englishlanguage spanish disaster drama film directed by j. Moments later the belonalvarez family was swept apart by the torrential force of the indian ocean tsunami of 2004. It had been nearly three years since the indian ocean tsunami roared into her familys christmas. I am not so arrogant to presume what happened in the actual tsunami as certain commentators are. Bayona, who is known for horror film the orphanage.
The impossible is beautifully accurate, writes tsunami survivor. Maria belon naomi watts, her husband henry belon ewan mcgregor and their kids lucas, thomas and simon, are visiting thailand for their christmas vacation. The impossible real life tsunami survivor maria belon interview. For belon, a tsunami can be any giant wave that hits us in life, provoking bruises, injury, confusion and asphyxiation. When the tsunami subsides, the films dubious racial politics make an unwelcome. Belons family were spending their christmas holiday in thailand when the tsunami hit. This is not the case of a 1930s film where white americans play asian or other ethnic roles. A family is forced to run for their lives, and for higher ground, after a massive earthquake sends millions of gallons of water rushing inland in the 2004 tsunami. We also talked about the post 24 hour false tsunami warnings. Her life was recounted in the popular 2012 film the impossible. Even though its set during that horrific tragedy, its really the story of one familys really bad christmas vacation. She was petrified, alone and convinced she was dying but in a miracle that inspired the impossible, the mum and her family survived. At least 510 times, false warnings would be spread via cell phones to other cell phones. A familyoffive 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.
Belon helped watts throughout the production and assisted with pivotal scenes in thailand after the family returned to the country for a set visit. 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. Benettwireimage required spanish tsunami survivors maria belon l and son lucas belon attend the uk charity premiere of the impossible at bfi imax on november 19, 2012 in london, england. Its a story that needed telling of the indian ocean tsunami and focuses on one particular family.
By angela dawson front row features hollywoodmaria belon is more than just a tsunami survivor. The family plans to spend a few days at a picturesque tropical paradise resort. Lo imposible is a 2012 englishlanguage spanish disaster drama movie directed by j. I need ye if you have read outlander by diana gabaldon.
The cars and chalet followed suit, all swept up in the current of the indian ocean tsunami that had hit the alvarez family on boxing day. Naomi watts plays a tourist whose family is torn apart by a tsunami in the impossible. There is little getting around the story without flirting with a spoiler or two, but suffice to say considering the nature of the catastrophe, the film is very emotional. The impossible specifically tells the true life account of the belon family who were separated from each other when the wave hit the beachside resort of khao lak in thailand. Naomi watts pulls off the impossible to critical acclaim. The 2004 tsunami killed 220280,000 people in 14 different countries, making it the sixth deadliest natural disaster in recorded history.
So i was thinking about what to post i have watched a few movies this month wreckitralph, jack reacher and a few others but i think the movie that stuck with me both in heart and mind has to be the impossible. His familys survival story inspired the 2012 film the impossible. However, their holiday is cut short on the morning of december 26, 2004, by the tsunami. But more importantly, it is a story about many people and what they suffered.
Khao lak is a holiday destination and the indiscriminate tsunami brushed and mixed up all before it. The tsunami survivor who lost her whole family world. Although i havent seen the movie, the book addressed the chinese in. The director achieved this by involving the belon family in the production and consulting reallife survivors and volunteers on every. It was an undersea megathrust earthquake that registered a magnitude of 9. The alvarezbelon familys story is moving, dramatic and true, and. True story of the impossible miracle family who inspired. They are interested in the bennett family or in maria belons family, to be. The english bennet family are on christmas holiday in thailand when the tsunami hits.
When the churn spit her out, belon was badly injured. Jun 6, 2015 the impossible real life tsunami survivor maria belon interview. What a miraculous story of survival, courage, and family love. Maria belon alvarez was badly wounded as she was dragged under water by the vast indian ocean tsunami of boxing day 2004. The impossible submerges the true impact of the tsunami film the. The impossible belon family the schleicher spin family overcomes incredible ordeal following devastating. Spanishborn tomas alvarez belons life changed forever on 26 december 2004, when he was caught up in the tragedy of the indian ocean tsunami. After the tsunami calmed down, belon was able to swim to land. This is based on a true story of a spanish familys survival during the 2004 tsunami that killed 230,000 people in 14.
Maria belon and her family attend the premiere image. The story of a tourist family in thailand caught in the destruction and chaotic aftermath of the 2004 indian ocean tsunami. Tsunami survivors impossible story hits the big screen bbc news. Maria was tossed around under the water, holding her breath and trying to focus as the water and debris tumbled around her. The impossible real life tsunami survivor maria belon. This is the real family who is reflected in the film the impossible. Some survived, many did not, but who the belon family encountered was not an editorial decision by the filmmakers. The impossible is beautifully accurate, writes tsunami. This natural event initiated a 98 ft high tsunami which went on to kill an estimated 230,000 people in 14 different countries. Family overcomes incredible ordeal following devastating. Tsunami survivor maria belon reflects on the impossible. Sonali deraniyagala lost her husband, two sons and parents to the indian ocean tsunami that claimed the lives of more than 200,000 people. She was portrayed in the 2012 film the impossible by naomi. She is a woman who has experienced a horrific tragedy and lived to tell the tale.
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. After the wave hit and swept her away from her family, she was able. The family is separated as a result maria and the oldest son from henry and the youngest two, and the film shows them attempting to connect to each other once again. International tragedy through the lens of intimate family. Hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives, and the impossible never ever loses sight of this.
She was severely injured in the tsunami and nearly died. For bayona, the story of belons family s survival helped shed a light on the devastation left in the tsunamis wake. Written by sergio sanchez and directed by juan antonio bayona, the impossible is a tale based on the reallife experiences of the belon family, and one which keeps the traditional, comic book. Fusce dapibus, tellus ac cursus commodo, tortor mauris ornare condimentum nibhr. Spanish tsunami survivors maria belon and son lucas belon. 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 to help individuals and families. True story of the impossible miracle survival of family. Books about the 2004 tsunami in indonesia score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. The tsunami took 230,000 lives in 14 countries, but somehow spared belon s entire family, who found each other at a hospital after days of frantic searching. Antonio bayonas the impossible aims to tell one familys story of struggle and survival after the disastrous indian ocean tsunami of 2004. Since the tsunami, many survivors have returned every christmas for remembrance ceremonies but, feeling awkward about their relative good luck. Nothing is impossible for maria belon front row features.
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