Nat Geo documents Thai cave rescue

Nat Geo is following up on its recent Oscar win for climbing movie Free Solo with a feature documentary about last year’s dramatic Thai cave rescue.

National Geographic Documentary Films has greenlit Thai Cave Rescue (working title), which comes from Academy Award-winning director Kevin Macdonald (One Day in September) and Emmy-winning producer John Battsek (Manhunt: The Story of Bin Laden).

It will feature never-before-seen footage from the two-week rescue of a youth soccer team and their assistant coach after they entered a cave system in Thailand and became trapped.

It originated with Storyteller Productions and its producers PJ van Sandwijk (American Dharma) and Michael Lesslie (Little Drummer Girl), who approached Macdonald after the successful outcome of the rescue mission and subsequently secured rights from the British cave divers involved.

The film is the second production from a long-term strategic partnership between Storyteller Productions and Passion Pictures.

The film will chronicle the perilous world of cave diving, the bravery of the rescuers and the dedication of an entire community that made great sacrifices to save the group, Nat Geo said.

It will feature exclusive access to British cave divers Richard Stanton and John Volanthen, along with Chris Jewell, Jason Mallinson, Connor Roe, Josh Bratchley and Jim Warny, in addition to in-depth interviews with Australian divers Dr Richard Harris and Craig Challen.

The doc will also feature interviews with a “diverse array of local citizens,” who the divers said helped contribute significantly to the rescue effort.

“This rescue mission is more than just a story of hope, it’s a story of humanity coming together. This film will represent a full 360° view of the crisis, told through unexpected angles and with untold stories,” added Macdonald.

Nat Geo’s documentary department recently took home both the Academy Award and Bafta for best documentary feature for Free Solo.