The real family on whose experiences the film is based is spanish. Belon defines herself as a normal person who had the luck to live an exceptional experience, in reference to the indian ocean earthquake and tsunami that struck the beach where she, her husband and three sons lucas 10, tomas 8 and simon 5 were vacationing in thailand in 2004. The audience understands, however, that the first few. His familys survival story inspired the 2012 film the impossible, starring naomi watts and. Short story 2010 painfully, the force of the wave knocked me back a few feet. Maria belon born may 12, 1966 is a spanish physician and motivational speaker, known for. Meanwhile, father henry, by some miracle, manages to survive the wave hitting the hotel, and. Director juan antonio bayona vividly shares the shocking and yet, miraculous story of the alvarez family. Her story is the subject of juan antonio bayonas the impossible, an emotional and riveting account of the 2004 tsunami. Maria belon and her family attend the premiere image. Boyona proposed maria belon to bring to the big screen her survival story in the 2004 tsunami, she thought it was a joke.
Maria belon naomi watts, her husband henry belon ewan mcgregor and their kids lucas, thomas and simon, are visiting thailand for their christmas vacation. Pierre bellon story bio, facts, networth, home, family. Dec 15, 2017 true story of the impossible miracle survival of family who inspired tsunami movie. Suddenly the sandy ground below me began to tremble. The impossible real life tsunami survivor maria belon. Some survived, many did not, but who the belon family encountered was not an editorial decision by the filmmakers. Familyoffive relive their incredible tale of survival in 2004 tsunami as story hits the big screen. Moments later the belonalvarez family was swept apart by the torrential force of the indian ocean tsunami of 2004.
Despite her traumatic experience, she returned to the same spot the tsunami hit to help tell her story. The impossible is beautifully accurate, writes tsunami. Khao lak is a holiday destination and the indiscriminate tsunami brushed and mixed up all before it. He is now a passionate campaigner for disaster risk. Maria bennetts reallife counterpart, maria belon, has a story credit on this. Family overcomes incredible ordeal following devastating tsunami. Jan 15, 20 must read is luke simmonds amazing story of being out to sea sailing and getting swept inland with the tsunami only to go on to help out others who were hurt and injured. All i could see was water and two of my boys clinging to the tops of trees. Maria belon born may 12, 1966 1 is a spanish physician and motivational speaker, known for surviving the 2004 indian ocean earthquake and tsunami when she was on vacation in thailand with her husband enrique quique alvarez 2 and three sons lucas, simon and tomas alvarez. It is a river cruise and catering company, that supplies food to us marine corps and public hospitals in the new york city.
This is the true story of maria belon and her family. Actress naomi watts, left, portrays maria belon in the impossible. Join facebook to connect with lucas belon and others you may know. Mar 09, 20 the tsunami survivor who lost her whole family. Jan 05, 20 maria belon alvarez was badly wounded as she was dragged under water by the vast indian ocean tsunami of boxing day 2004.
By angela dawson front row features hollywoodmaria belon is more than just a tsunami survivor. Lo imposible is a 2012 englishlanguage spanish disaster drama film directed by j. I found it powerful and moving, and think it was brilliantly done. Miracle mum relives 2004 tsunami ordeal which inspired new. But more importantly, it is a story about many people and what they suffered. Holidaying in thailand at christmas, 2004, maria naomi watts, henry ewan mcgregor and their three boys are having an idyllic vacation. Books about the 2004 tsunami in indonesia score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Jan 31, 20 this is based on a true story of a spanish familys survival during the 2004 tsunami that killed 230,000 people in 14 countries.
The impossible is a harrowing true story of a family caught in the deadly 2004 tsunami that claimed over 200,000 lives. On december 26, 2004, belon was at the poolside while her husband and three sons, lucas, 10, tomas, 8, and simon, 5, were splashing in the pool, before the family was swept apart by the tsunami. She recognized the signs of the receding sea and warned her parents of. Dec 21, 2012 director juan antonio bayonas the impossible aims to tell one family s story of struggle and survival after the disastrous indian ocean tsunami of 2004. Spanishborn tomas alvarez belons life changed forever on 26 december 2004, when he was caught up in the tragedy of the indian ocean tsunami. Jan 03, 20 by angela dawson front row features hollywoodmaria belon is more than just a tsunami survivor. The who story narrates how the health needs of the affected people are being met. Pierre bellon is a french entrepreneur who founded sodexo in 1966. Spanishspeaking and averagelooking family are transformed into.
The impossible is a tale based on the reallife experiences of the belon family, and one which keeps the traditional, comic book hollywood version. Its just one of countless stories that may never be told. The fact is that this is the story of a family who were in thailand as tourists. International tragedy through the lens of intimate family. As the tide at the beach began to pull out into the salty aqua sea i realised what was happening, a tsunami was coming. The tsunami took 230,000 lives in 14 countries, but somehow spared belon s entire family, who found each other at a hospital after days of frantic searching. It is based on the experience of maria belon and her family in the 2004 indian ocean tsunami. The impossible dramatizes a familys survival of 2004 tsunami. You dont usually see a movies story credit given to the very person the movie is about. For bayona, the story of belon s family s survival helped shed a light on the devastation left in the tsunamis wake. After the tsunami calmed down, belon was able to swim to land with lucas, only. Must read is luke simmonds amazing story of being out to sea sailing and getting swept inland with the tsunami only to go on to help out others who were hurt and injured. The story behind the indian ocean tsunami warning system the kernel the daily dot by nithin coca on november 29, 2015 it took nearly three hours for the 2004 indian ocean tsunami, the deadliest natural disaster in human history, to travel from its epicenter near sumatra, indonesia, to the eastern coasts of india and sri lanka. As we move ahead with the tasks in hand, this book enables us to reflect on our activities of the past few months, to take a critical look at ourselves and to keep in mind the lessons learnt from the disaster, so that we may serve the people better.
Bayonas the orphanage was amazing, and he has directed another great film in this one. Tsunami survivor maria belon reflects on the impossible. But she and her family survived and their incredible story has inspired. Tilly smith, an elevenyearold schoolgirl was on holiday in thailand with her family when the tsunami hit in december 2004. The cinematography when the tsunami sweeps in is nothing short of stunning and captivating. The story depicted in the movie was incredibly similar to my own. The english bennet family are on christmas holiday in thailand when the tsunami hits. Henry was helped to look for his children by a german tourist with an injured leg. Powerful performances by ewan mcgregor and naomi watts, the latter tearing the screen in torment and anguish, it is almost heartbreaking to see. Maria belon alvarez was badly wounded as she was dragged under water by the vast indian ocean tsunami of boxing day 2004. But then the impossible is in every way an unusual movie. She has stated that some of her family is from the canary islands. Apr 25, 20 18 things we learned from the impossible commentary. The family plans to spend a few days at a picturesque tropical paradise resort.
Lucy is 12, one year younger than lucas and shes been living in thailand for a few months, but what happens when she meets lucas and his brothers and a tsunami comes. In the chaotic aftermath of the disaster, the brothers managed to find their two siblings, but very sadly their parents did not survive. True story of the impossible miracle survival of family who inspired. True story of the impossible miracle survival of family who inspired tsunami movie. This picture book, done in collage style, is a beautiful story about the wise japanese man who has a bad feeling so does not venture down to the village celebrations. She is a woman who has experienced a horrific tragedy and lived to tell the tale. What a miraculous story of survival, courage, and family love. Moving beyond the tsunamithe who storycomplete book. A family offive whose miraculous survival in the boxing day tsunami has been turned into a hollywood film today relived their ordeal as their story prepares to hit the big screen. In december of that year, maria belon was in thailand with her husband and her three sons when they were swept away by a massive wall of water in the indian ocean. Its based on the true story of the belon familys ordeal during and after the devastating 2004 tsunami in thailand that killed over 200,000 people. Producer maria belon and her husband enrique pose on arrival. Jan 04, 20 the story depicted in the movie was incredibly similar to my own.
The impossible focuses on one family and there has been some criticism of that fact, yet their story is just one piece of an enormous puzzle. Ewan mcgregor on recreating boxing day tsunami disaster the scottish actor describes the challenge of doing justice to the true life story of a familys struggle to. And the story credit does indeed go to the mother, maria belon. The tsunami survivor who lost her whole family world news. Director juan antonio bayonas the impossible aims to tell one familys story of struggle and survival after the disastrous indian ocean tsunami of 2004. I realized that with the subject matter being the 2004 tsunami in southeast. The impossible submerges the true impact of the tsunami film the.
The director achieved this by involving the belon family in the production and consulting reallife survivors and volunteers on every. Ewan mcgregor on recreating boxing day tsunami disaster the scottish actor describes the challenge of doing justice to the true life story of a family s struggle to. Its an amazing journey into the love and faith of one family. True story of the impossible miracle survival of family who inspired tsunami movie she was petrified, alone and convinced she was dying but in a miracle that inspired the impossible, the mum. A 2012 film about one family s impossible story during the boxing day tsunami. Nothing is impossible for maria belon front row features. Aug 11, 2011 tilly smith, an elevenyearold schoolgirl was on holiday in thailand with her family when the tsunami hit in december 2004.
A moving true story written by rob and paul forkan who were caught up with their family in the 2004 boxing day tsunami in sri lanka. Mother maria bennet, an exdoctor, is swept out in the tidal wave with oldest son lucas. Maria belon seriously promoted her story and survival so nothing is being given away by knowing this is a story of one family s survival. Maria belon seriously promoted her story and survival so nothing is being given away by knowing this is a story of one familys survival.
After the wave hit and swept her away from her family, she was able to grab hold of a tree with the aim of waiting for the tsunami to subside. The film was well received and even had the benefit of maria belon as a consultant on the set in thailand. Tsunami survivors impossible story hits the big screen bbc news. True story of the impossible miracle family who inspired. Stars discuss the impossible, juan antonio bayonas drama about a family who were caught up in the tsunami resulting from the 2004 indian ocean earthquake 3. Maria belon born may 12, 1966 is a spanish physician and motivational speaker, known for surviving the 2004 indian ocean earthquake and tsunami when she was on vacation in thailand with her husband enrique quique alvarez and three sons lucas, simon and tomas alvarez. A 2012 film about one familys impossible story during the boxing day tsunami. Dec 21, 2012 tsunami survivors impossible story hits the big screen.
Their amazing story was actually made into the 2012 movie, the impossible starring naomi watts and ewan mcgregor. The impossible real life tsunami survivor maria belon interview. Tsunami survivors impossible story hits the big screen. This is the a story of remarkable survival following the 2004 indian ocean tsunami by a spanish family of five. This is based on a true story of a spanish familys survival during the 2004 tsunami that killed 230,000 people in 14 countries. A glimpse of the sheer force and destruction behind this natural disaster will undoubtedly leave you breathless. Couple and three young sons were sat round hotel pool when wave struck. The bottom line is belon had every right to tell her story from her point of view, and bayona took the artistic liberty to use it as a way to channel the emotional cost of an international tragedy through the lens of an intimate family drama. Its even more a story of a mother and her son as they fight for survival and eventually hope to be reunited with the rest of their family. Hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives, and the impossible never ever loses sight of this.
The film is based on a true story of the belon family caught up in the december 26, 2004 indian ocean tsunami while vacationing in thailand. The story of a tourist family in thailand caught in the destruction and chaotic aftermath of the 2004 indian ocean tsunami. Quique alvarez, his wife maria belon and their three young children. Belon says her family agreed their stories could be told as long as the film makers took care of the soul of the story.
They are interested in the bennett family or in maria belons family, to be more accurate. Luke simmonds 27 photos rick vonfeldt took 27 photos immediately after the disaster. With naomi watts, ewan mcgregor, tom holland, oaklee pendergast. Jan 27, 20 the impossible real life tsunami survivor maria belon interview.
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