Documentary on tale of 2004 tsunami survivor, 20 years on

The morning after Christmas, in 2004, the world stood still as it witnessed one of the deadliest disasters of the 21st century.

A tsunami - triggered by a 9.3-magnitude undersea earthquake off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia - swept over vulnerable coastal areas surrounding the Indian Ocean.

It claimed more than 220,000 lives, mostly in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Somalia, Myanmar, Maldives, and Malaysia.

For the survivors and those who lost their loved ones, it was a catastrophe that changed their lives forever.

As the 20th anniversary of the tragedy approaches, Feisk Productions is producing a new documentary that intimately follows one survivor, Priscilla Patrick, as she recounts her harrowing experience during the tsunami in Sri Lanka.

Producer Feisal Azizuddin told Malaysiakini that the documentary titled “The Tides Will Decide” will share Priscilla’s personal story as well as highlight the individuals who have shaped her life, her spiritual journey, and the build-up to the events that saved her from the ocean’s deadly grasp.

“We are privileged to have exclusive access to Priscilla and are dedicated to preserving the authenticity of her story through detailed reenactments and compelling visual storytelling.

“Numerous accounts (of the tsunami) have documented its impact, but our documentary revisits this tragedy through the lens of a survivor’s personal trauma and resilience, two decades later.

“As Priscilla reflects on her fate, this documentary serves as a timely reminder of a tragedy that claimed countless lives,” Feisal said.

Many of those killed in the “Boxing Day Tsunami” were tourists enjoying their Christmas holidays in hot spots like Phuket in Thailand, while Aceh was hit the hardest as it was the closest to the epicentre.

Igniting passion

Meanwhile, when interviewed by Malaysiakini, director Azim Rizal took a deep dive into what ignited his passion to bring Priscilla’s journey to a broader audience through the documentary.

The 29-year-old filmmaker disclosed that it all began when he had the pleasure of working with Priscilla in the radio industry a few years ago.

“During our time working together, she began sharing many inspiring stories from her life, the most profound being her survival of the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka. You can’t help but feel her aura and admire how she takes on life with no regrets.

“Her resilience and connection to nature, particularly the ocean, are aspects of her life that resonate deeply with me.

“We feel that this is the right time for her to share her story in its entirety, and I also believe that she is ready,” he said.

His personal connection with Priscilla, Azim said, has turned the project into one that is beyond a mere professional endeavour.

“It’s an emotional journey for me as well.

“Priscilla’s journey teaches us that while we may not have control over everything that happens to us, we do have control over how we respond and move forward.

“I aim to share her incredible story and inspire others to embrace life with the same vigour and resilience. It is a story of survival, strength, and unwavering faith,” he added.

Revisiting tragedy

Although it’s been almost two decades on, Priscilla divulged that she still experiences fresh emotions when working on this documentary, saying it felt like it was just three weeks ago when the tragedy struck.

“I never thought about going back to Sri Lanka until two years ago.

“I light a candle every December 26 to honour the departed and the survivors. In 2022, when I lit that candle on Boxing Day, I said to myself, let’s go check out Sri Lanka... It’s time.

“I am also going to try to look for everyone I met 20 years ago in Sri Lanka. So there’s a lot of excitement and curiosity of the unknown,” she said.

She admitted that it would undoubtedly be an emotional experience if she gets to meet another survivor, who shares the same emotions and had witnessed, smelled, and felt the same things she did.

Meanwhile, producer Iskander Azizuddin said the production house has launched a crowdfunding campaign to secure additional funding to complete the documentary.

“Our aim is to raise RM35,000, which will be allocated to paying the crew and covering production expenses, by July 10.

“But if we do not meet our target, all funds will be returned to contributors,” the 38-year-old said.

Feisk Productions has raised RM18,100 as of the time of writing.

If it all turns out well, Iskander added his team has plans to screen the documentary to the public at the end of the year, in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the tsunami.

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