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The First Wave (film)

2021 American documentary film by Matthew Heineman From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The First Wave (film)
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The First Wave is a 2021 American documentary film, directed and produced by Matthew Heineman. The film follows a hospital in New York City, as it battles the COVID-19 pandemic. Alex Gibney serves as an executive producer.

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It had its world premiere at the Hamptons Film Festival on October 7, 2021. It released on November 19, 2021, by Neon.

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Synopsis

The film follows a hospital in New York City from March to June 2020 as it battles the COVID-19 pandemic. The film examines structural factors that influenced the initial COVID outbreak and how such factors impact American society more broadly.

Production

In April 2020, it was announced Heineman would direct a documentary film revolving around the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on health care workers with Alex Gibney set to serve as an executive producer.[2][3]

Matthew Heineman reached out to a source from his previous film Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare, to explore access opportunities at different medical facilities in New York, with Long Island Jewish Medical Center allowing Heineman and his crew to film.[4] Donning the same personal protective equipment as hospital staff, two-person teams deployed to chronicle unfolding events. No crew members contracted the virus during production.[5]

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Release

In March 2021, Neon and National Geographic Documentary Films acquired distribution rights to the film.[6] It had its world premiere at the Hamptons International Film Festival on October 7, 2021.[7] It also screened at the Busan International Film Festival and BFI London Film Festival on October 9, 2021.[8][9] It will also screen at AFI Fest in November 2021.[10] It released in the United States on November 19, 2021.[11] and in the United Kingdom on November 26, 2021, by Dogwoof.[12]

Reception

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Critical reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 96% based on 27 reviews, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The website's consensus reads "The First Wave presents a starkly gripping snapshot of a crisis unfolding -- and its grim toll on those who put their lives on the line to fight it".[13] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 85 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[14]

Accolades

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References

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