Tsunami: Race Against Time

This 4 piece documentary could have and should have been over 10 episodes. There is so much to look at.

The volunteers who made such a difference alone could be covered.

So many countries not covered.

There are so many golden pieces and parts that broke my heart too.

I was in Thailand that day and it was so weird how the country functioned. How it set to cope.

I've waited 20 years to watch even a 5 minute video of that morning. This is a solid and sensitive documentary. It's not made for money. It's there to show truly what happened and when. I still can't believe it all. Hopefully never happens again.

As many others have noted, this could have been a longer series in order to include more of the sites that were devastated. Still, it was a very encouraging view - one that gave hope as we saw people helping each other, lost family being found, people surviving injuries, and the eventual establishment of an Indian Ocean Warning System. I was pleased with the approach of letting survivors talk and enhancing their descriptions with video. Is it complete? No. Does it show the lengthy process of recovery? No. But it is a different view that adds considerably to the documented history. I suggest watching all 4 episodes in one sitting.

I genuinely believe everyone should watch this documentary.

It's hard to understand the full scope of this disaster until you do. I never realized this tsunami killed a quarter of a million people.

The documentary wasn't pure "doom and gloom." Periodically, this documentary surprises you with people who survived unbelievable odds. Seeing them reunited with their families is extremely heartwarming.

The amount of "new footage" is stunning. Other pieces of media about this disaster focus on Thailand, but 170,000 people in Indonesia lost their lives.

This documentary should make you feel hopeful about humanity. The amount of people who stepped up to save complete strangers is staggering. It reminds you that every day you spend alive is a lucky day.

This documentary tugs on your heartstrings in ways I can't truly express. On one hand what a relief it is to see some happy endings, and on the other the absolute horror at losing your dearest loved ones.

What a brilliant documentary this was, bringing to light and reminding us how cruel nature can be and yet how altruistic human beings are in the face of a disaster. Despite being only a child then in Malaysia, I still remember exactly what I was doing with my family on this very day. Experiencing the realisation of how lucky I am to have been with my family, all of us safe and sound miles away from this disaster truly moves me.

Watching the pain, hurt, grief and relief felt by the survivors as a result of the tsunami makes one realise just how resilient human beings can be. Can't recommend this recount of the 2004 Tsunami enough. Outstanding work!

I think it's an incredible documentary and shows lots of perspectives on this disaster. Still, I wish it was longer and covered all the countries hit. It was covering them sequentially, but suddenly it stops following that timeline. It's a missed potential for sure.

One interesting approach was to show the pacific tsunami warning center perspective on the earthquake. Shows how many things had to be improved in earthquake and tsunami detection and warning centers. In my country in Brazil, especifically my state Rio Grande do Sul, we also went through an unprecedented flood disaster last year and we also didn't have a proper detection nor warnings, getting hit by a disaster suddenly when you're just having a normal day is terrifying. I can only imagine the terror people faced on the tsunami, as it is many times worse.

That said, i really enjoyed all the episodes and i loved the format they chose for it. Quality wise it's top notch and extremely empathetic to the places covered.