Movies & TV Shows That Heal: The Rescue

The Rescue is a documentary based on the rescue of a team of boys and their football coach from a flooded cave in Thailand. The team was trapped in the cave for over two weeks. The story made global headlines in 2018. I remember heaving a sigh of relief when I heard the team had been rescued successfully, though my heart did pine for the couple of navy personnel who lost their lives during the process ( one during the mission and one a little later).

To be honest, I did feel some resistance when we sat down to watch this documentary. I felt it would leave me feeling low and fearful. However, it turned out to be the exact opposite of what I anticipated. Towards the end of the movie, my eyes were overflowing with tears. And much to the amusement of my husband and son (who I watched the film with), I did give myself permission to cry my heart out!

In my opinion, the film subtly yet effectively manages to showcase the herculean efforts that went into rescuing the team of boys and their coach under very dangerous circumstances. Professional cave divers from across the world joined hands with the Thai Navy to make this near-impossible feat possible.

Key Takeaways From ‘The Cave’

1. The human body is stunningly resilient. I couldn’t stop wondering how someone could survive for so many days without nutrition, fresh air and basic hygiene. But they did – all of them! If the body can stretch itself to excruciating limits to preserve life under trying circumstances, imagine how much it may be doing for us every day. We hardly notice the brilliance alive within our bodies. It does evoke a huge sense of gratitude!
2. Love makes the world go around. Support poured in from across the globe. Professional cave divers from different countries flew in and helped make the mission a success. During moments of crisis, nothing seems to matter apart from the fact that everyone is human. Boundaries of race, religion and ethnicity dissolve. Humanity prevails.
3. Being Who You Are Can Help The World. Until I watched this movie, I had no clue that cave diving was a skill! During the course of the movie, some of the divers talked about their passion for cave diving. They said team sports was not their forte and that cave diving suited them fine because it could be done independently. When viewed through a conventional lens, this attitude may not have earned them brownie points. But they chose to do what felt right to them. And their choice didn’t go in vain. Not only did it bring them joy and contentment, it also helped save so many lives! Being who we are can be a blessing not only to us but also to others around us.

P.S: I understand there is more than one documentary based on the Thai cave rescue and they go by slightly differing titles. The one I watched and am referring to in this post is titled ‘The Rescue.’