Watched Thailand's The Trapped 13: How We Survived the Thai Cave (1:43:00), documenting a rare disaster with a happy ending. It is all about the Thai youth soccer team, the Wild Boars, that got trapped in the Tham Luang Cave in 2018 and how volunteers from different parts of the world came together to rescue them while the whole world watched their suspenseful plight. 

I was in Singapore conducting a creative writing workshop in July 2018 before the rescue happened. My workshop was scheduled on evenings, and I spent most days of the week watching the live TV coverage, including replays, of the discussions as to how to rescue the team through their being delivered in ambulances to hospital while bystanders on the roads cheered.

The documentary has many recreated scenes involving actors, but is essentially told from the points of view of the boys and their coach four years later, the boys' parents, local officials, and rescuers from different countries. Sadly, there was one casualty on the rescuers' side, a Thai SEAL delivering oxygen tanks underwater, who passed out and never regained consciousness. 

I found it quite interesting that prayers and petitions were made to Nang Non, the spirit of the cave and the mountains. Her legend is included in the documentary--that of a princess who fell in love with a stable boy and eloped with him. Pursuing soldiers killed the stable boy, and the princess killed herself with a hairpin. I was reminded that, to this very day, many visitors to Mount Makiling continue to pay homage to Maria Makiling in many different ways.

The rescue entailed quick decision-making on everyone's part. It was heartwarming to see the boys and their coach recovering in hospital, and afterward taken on a world tour including travel to Argentina for the Youth Olympic Games in Bueons Aires. They also met their football idols, the Manchester United, in England, and appeared on the Ellen show.