Published on : 28/06/2022 – 18:38
Los Angeles (AFP) – With a cast mixing stars and local actors, including beginners, American director Ron Howard presents in “Thirteen Lives” the cinematic version of the harrowing rescue of young footballers in Thailand, which had the world in suspense in 2018.
“I knew it would be an exciting challenge,” said Ron Howard during the presentation of the trailer for the film, which will be released on July 29 in the United States.
It’s “a very extreme version of my favorite genre of films, the type of films that prove that incredible endings do not only exist in works of fiction”, he adds.
The film chronicles the dramatic rescue of 12 boys who, along with their coach, found themselves trapped in a cave in Thailand for just over two weeks.
Recreating the conditions of this intense event was also a physical and psychological challenge for the actors.
Colin Farrell, who plays diver John Volanthen, talks regarding how “terrifying” it can be to shoot underwater most of the time, even in a supervised setting.
The actor, who by his own admission cannot swim, underlined the “spirit of collaboration” that prevailed during filming, as well as the importance of paying tribute to the people who participated in the rescue operation – – two people died, one of them months later.
“It was tough but also an honor,” said Colin Farrell.
“And we were really aware of that. It wasn’t regarding us coming as actors to play these British divers, who came to rescue everyone and triumph. It was regarding being guided by our Thai brothers and sisters “, he asserts.
Ron Howard also stressed the importance of portraying the people of Chiang Rai province in northern Thailand.
The cast therefore includes many local actors and made sure to ensure that the teenagers are played by young people from the North, so that the language spoken is authentic.
“It’s not just regarding an accent but also regarding the way of speaking, and it was crucial” to respect that, said the director, who for this purpose collaborated with Vorakorn “Billy” Ruetaivanichkul, co-producer of the movie.
Mr. Ruetaivanichkul was particularly involved in preparing the young actors to put themselves in the shoes of the rescued teenagers.
“I asked them (…) to imagine that they were in a cramped place, that they only had food and water for a few days, and that they were probably only going to not get out of there quickly,” he explained.
The operation had already been the subject of a documentary, “The Rescue”, released last year, which showed previously unseen scenes.
“Thirteen Lives,” which also stars Viggo Mortensen, will be available to stream in August following its big-screen release.
© 2022 AFP
