Tsunami: The aftermath

The most difficult part in life is not the fall, but picking yourself up after that fall.

Tsunami: The Aftermath tells the story of the devastating 2004 Sumatra Tsunami from British point of view in Khao Lak Resort, Phuket, Thailand. Based on true accounts, it shows the aftermath from 3 perspectives: the victims, the government (British Representative) and the press. The movie cuts through the core of the problem when a nation is crippled by a tragic natural disaster. It shows how the people and the government try their best to find some sort of norm in a chaotic situation.

A lot of emotions were expressed in the movie from the anguish and confusing of losing love ones to the moral dilemma of doing the right thing versus self interest. The last point was shown several times in the movie such as the time when Ian Carter was torn between saving a fellow tourist and looking for his missing daughter and the time when Than, the Thailand waiter, attempt of looting to find some provision for his villagers. In such chaotic situation, our moral and ethical values are really put to the test.

What is right and wrong in such situation may not be so in peaceful times. Not many of us are capable of putting other’s interest before our own but in times of crisis we are more willing to help one another. In times of crisis, those who experienced the same thing feel a kind of bond with each other and such bond are what we sought for; a kind of balm to the soul. But not everyone feels the same.

The government aloofness in times of tragedy can sometimes creates confusion as not many understand their pragmatic takes on a situation. Such take on a situation, without proper information relay, may seem ridiculous and insensitive but the fact is otherwise. The level of understanding between those who were affected by the event and those who are not is at a different plane. Others may not understand the anguish of not being able to reconcile with their love ones but for those who experienced such tragedy the inability to find closure tear them asunder emotionally. But in times of crisis will there be time for proper dissemination of information?

What the movie is trying to show is how in times of crisis bond can be created and also broken. When one is emotionally torn apart, trust from other human being is really crucial. But such trust is hard to get when we are doing all we can to make an informed decision over an emotional one.