The Third Wave

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!

Am not sure what to write. I saw the film in L.A festival with friends and was not expecting anything but some entertainment. I got more. I feel like this film has led me to do something good for other people. I'm not sure what yet. It took a few days for the film to sink into my head and heart and then I started calling everyone talking about it with them. Then they all wanted to see it. I recommend this film to anyone of any age. And after you see it take your kids they will learn many of life's valuable lessons from it. I want to see it again but i'm not sure where. The people in it are average people like us all who end up going off to help in a big way out of a simple thought but in this we see they are real humble heroes unlike the ones we make up and idolize in movies like Spiderman but real heroes.

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

I was lucky enough to get a much coveted ticket to The Third Wave film at the Presidential Jury Screening at the 2008 Cannes film festival last week. It was wall to wall packed. Bono showed up with Sean Penn and Michael Moore seemed to love it by that big grin and was hugging the filmmakers along with Natalie Portman, Faye Dunaway and a whole bunch of jury and celebrities. It was a powerful film and there was a really long standing ovation at the end of it. Big balls to Sean Penn and Morgan Spurlock for finding this film it was the pearl of the festival. The film stayed with me for a few days and kinda spoiled watching the other films as nothing was as good as it. I hope it gets picked up, the world should see it. The filmmakers spoke at the end in a very humble way and I got to talk to them at the after party. Donny the main character was like Indiana Jones and was a very funny guy. These guys are heroes.

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!