Helping Hands / Tsunami The Third Wave

01/01/2005

About

In the aftermath of the Boxing Day tsunami, a group of New Zealanders travel to Sri Lanka to help with the reconstruction.

On a tight ten-day deadline, the Kiwis try hard to do everything they can to help; build a refugee centre, help the locals fix the engines on their fishing boats and create some much needed order in an orphanage. They’re keen, they bring skills, energy and enthusiasm but there are cultural, political and practical issues that occur constantly.

The documentary interweaves the Kiwi’s stories with that of two local families whose homes have been destroyed and who are waiting to be relocated to the new refugee camp. There’s a real sense of how an already bureaucratic society copes in the aftermath of a tsunami and how it deals with a group of outsiders who offer a different approach to the situation.

The documentary shows how the New Zealanders are affected by the people they meet and work with and their attempt to deal with the situation. How their ideals and preconceptions are tested and how they cope emotionally. It’s about carpenters and mechanics who build a refugee camp. And a woman who brings love to some orphans.

The first two waves brought devastation to Asia in a matter of half an hour. The third wave (of reconstruction) is a longer more complicated process, which this documentary explores through the actions and attitudes of the people involved.

This documentary is being distributed internationally by TVF International.