La troisième vague

Where did all the billions in aid go? Not to this village. This is a wonderful raw and honest film that will make you laugh and cry. The inspiring efforts of this team of people that were thrust together by their common desire to be on the ground helping make you want to clap out loud or pack your bags. The cultural insight is captivating as these people struggle to repair their lives with the help of Alison, Oscar and the team. While the village parents squabble over petty matters the children start to shine becoming a major part of the film. This is the film about the people that actually did get out of their chair and do something. You will feel inspired.

I was fortunate to have caught this film at the most recent Tribeca Film festival. The movie chronicles the efforts of a group of volunteer's who gathered in Sri Lanka after the devastating tsunami of 2004. The story is delicately woven in an intricate patchwork of at once gut-wrenching and uplifting moments. I must say that I was taken aback by the altruistic effort of the group of volunteers that were featured in this documentary. This film is a testament to the strength and kindness of the human spirit but more importantly inspires the viewer to action. The film inspired me personally to participate humanitarian efforts both in North America and abroad. Bravo!

I was dragged along to the Tribeca film festival by a client and ended up happy about that as almost immediately I was sitting at the edge of my seat. The film is a riveting story about 4 unlikely volunteers who have no money or experience but end up doing it all by using common sense and love. It affected me so much I had to go and have a shot of whiskey after the film. When the movie ended people stood up to clap and they didn't stop and then they got up 3 more times. I felt like I was at a rock concert and was wondering when was the last time or anytime I had done that in a movie? After an hour of 'Question and Answers' people still had questions but management threw us out ready for the next film. I think I will try and go and see more Independent movies and I think I will start trying to help more. Thanks Spurlock good eye for this one!

In giving "The Third Wave" my highest rating, I have no problem in disclosing that I am friends with its remarkable director Alison Thompson. Did our friendship influence my great admiration for her documentary? Not at all. In fact, we became friends after I was awed by the movie at the Tribeca Film Festival and wanted very much to interview Thompson to post on a web site so that other people would know about "The Third Wave." All filmmakers and every fan of documentaries will be excited by the guerrilla, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants camera-work--where the camera seems to be exploring and documenting on its own, and anything or anybody can venture in front of the lens. But much more significant is that every movie fan, every human being, will experience an immense emotional impact watching Thompson and her volunteer cohorts, in an exotic far-away land, try to lessen heartbroken tragedy with kindness, selflessness, and good will--and to see the broken people they're trying to help love them back or--in scenes with a "Lord of the Flies" feel-turn against them. While the money we sent to Indonesia after the tsunami got "lost" in transit, the volunteers sent themselves to nurse (Alison set up a hospital and in her spare time collected the bones of tsunami victims) and rebuild and teach. These humanitarians are fascinating, as are the people they encounter in Piralya, the village they bring back to life in Sri Lanka. Talk about role models and saints, forget the heroes played by actors in fictional epics in theaters and watch this little movie for the real deal, a four-person emergency peace corps who went to the disaster area for two weeks and stayed for two extraordinary years--the least we viewers can do is watch Alison Thompson and company work miracles for not even two hours. Danny Peary

Wow! It's not often that you come across a film like this. You know the ones where you walk away stunned and full of emotion then it hits you deeper than you ever thought possible because the film was based on real life events? From the start right through to the finish this film is full of colourful characters and heartfelt stories. This film gently captures the events of a small coastal village just after the Tsnumai hit. It follows through to the moments when the village is finally self sufficient again. I won't spoil the fun but the stories of the village people and the international volunteers are priceless. Totally recommend seeing this one!