"The Impossible" painfully shows the reality of a tsunami

Three days ago, I had the chance to sit in a theatre in San Francisco to see the limited release of "The Impossible." I am still trying to pick the best words to describe my reaction to the movie.

But I think that I can speak for tsunami survivors from around the world. This is the first time a movie has captured the chaos, pain and horror of the 2004 SE Asia tsunami.

There are many stories from the tsunami, many of which are captured on this website. This story is just one. For tourists who experienced the tsunami and survived, the movie shows many accurate emotions and realities of what happened. The best may be the feeling of what it was like to be in the swirling "washing machine like" swell of waves and water. And secondly, the sense of grief and frustration by so many people who wandered around for the 72 hours following the first wave, looking for missing family members.

It is not an easy movie to watch - neither for survivors or for movie goers. But it is real. Honest. And worth seeing.

I will post more reactions to the movies over the next several days, and so please check back. And if you were a survivor, and saw the movie, please also share your thoughts and reactions.

I have responded to a few online reviews and articles about the movies including these:

The wizardry behind 'The Impossible's' tsunami (The LA Times)

Emotional Deluge (The Economist)

Attempting the Impossible: why does western cinema whitewash Asian stories? (The Guardian)