National Geographic Documentary Films announced September 23 the UK theatrical release date of The Rescue, winner of the People’s Choice Award for Documentaries at TIFF and the latest film from BAFTA, Academy Award® and multiple Emmy® Award-winning directing duo, E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin.
The Rescue will be released by Dogwoof in UK cinemas from 29 October 2021, with nationwide preview screenings on Tuesday 26th October.
The Rescue chronicles the enthralling, against-all-odds story that transfixed the world in 2018: the daring rescue of 12 boys and their coach from deep inside a flooded cave in northern Thailand. The BAFTA and Academy Award®-winning directors and producers, E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, use never-before-seen material and exclusive interviews to piece together the high-stakes mission, highlighting the efforts of the Royal Thai Navy SEALs and U.S. Special Forces, and detailing the expert cave divers’ audacious venture to save the boys.
Directors E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin commented: “This powerful story celebrates hope, compassion and human ingenuity when faced with impossible odds,” adding that “the way in which the divers and Thai community came together in the face of adversity truly represents humanity at its best. We are honoured to once again work with National Geographic Documentary Films to shine new light on the unprecedented rescue that riveted audiences around the world.”
The film features interviews with critical rescue and support teams, including British cave divers Richard Stanton and John Volanthen, named on National Geographic’s 2019 list of Adventurers of the Year.
The Rescue grants viewers exclusive access to the tense meetings, conversations and timeline of events that led to the valiant rescue, seamlessly threading together the tough decisions that needed to be made as the minutes and days mounted and the boys’ chance of survival was at greater stake.
“Master storytellers and artistic visionaries, Chai and Jimmy are the dream team to tell this edge-of-your-seat story of grit, courage and cross-cultural collaboration. We are so happy — and feel so lucky — to be working with them again,” said Carolyn Bernstein, EVP of Scripted Content and Documentary Films for National Geographic.
The Rescue is produced by Ventureland’s John Battsek (One Day in September, Searching For Sugar Man) and P.J. van Sandwijk (American Dharma) of Storyteller Productions. For National Geographic Documentary Films, Carolyn Bernstein is executive producer. Vasarhelyi and Chin also produced the film, alongside Free Solo editor Bob Eisenhardt.
