This year seems to be one of clarification for those still curious about what happened during the gruelling rescue operation of a lost soccer team at Tham Luang Cave four years ago. There have been plenty of movies and documentaries covering this topic, from Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin's The Rescue and Ron Howard's thrilling drama Thirteen Lives to Emmy-winner Pailin Wedel's upcoming documentary The Trapped 13: How We Survived The Thai Cave.
Last week, Netflix dropped Thai Cave Rescue: A Mission Of Hope, a limited drama series which features a different perspective on what happened in the cave during the search for the Wild Boars soccer team and their coach, including details many people may not have known.
The six-episode series was created by Michael Russell Gunn and Dana Ledoux Miller, and directed by Bad Genius's Nattawut "Baz" Poonpiriya, starring a number of well-known performers including Papangkorn "Beam" Lerkchaleampote as coach Eak, Thaneth Warakulnukroh as Gov Narongsak, Varintorn "Bloom" Yaroojjanont as Dr Bhak, and Rodger Corser as Dr Richard "Harry" Harris. The part that makes Thai Cave Rescue different from other versions is that the series brings in a new perspective and storyline told through fictional characters created especially for the series, such as Kelly, a skilled hydrologist played by Urassaya "Yaya" Sperbund, and Pim, a national park ranger played by Manatsanun "Donut" Phanlerdwongsakul.
Life recently had an opportunity to talk with Urassaya and Manatsanun at a press conference for Thai Cave Rescue about their experience working on the project, and what it's like to play fictional characters based on true events.
Can you talk about your roles, and what you liked most about the character?
Urassaya: I play Kelly who is a Thai- American hydrologist working on a PhD project in Thailand. She has a connection to the area, and once this event happens, she has the drive to help them. What I liked most about Kelly's character is her commitment. Some people look down on her because of her age or question her qualifications, but her heart is filled with determination. She doesn't care what others think of her, because she just wants to help make things happen, and it's impressive.
Manatsanun: I play a park ranger named Pim who is the officer on duty at Tham Luang when the event happened. Michael Russell Gunn and Dana Ledoux Miller, the writers and showrunners, were inspired by park rangers who worked there and thus created Pim. If we look for pictures of the rescue operation online, almost every one includes park rangers, but they never got the credit they deserved. That's why Michael and Dana wanted to bring a park ranger into the story. Pim's character is like a host who welcomes everyone into her home. She's always taking care of people in the area, from the rescuers to the kids stuck in the cave. She's the connecting dot of the series.
Did you guys follow the news four years ago? And what are your personal thoughts on what happened?
Manatsanun: Yes, I was one of those people obsessed with the news. I would grab my phone and scroll for updates first thing in the morning. And honestly, there were days when I felt hopeless, which is similar to what happens in the script. But I was always following the news until the kids were finally rescued. However, there were a lot of things that we didn't know about. So, when I read the script for this series, it helped to fill in the blanks. The one thing that stood out to me was how people from around the world still believed and had faith in humanity. To me, that's such a powerful story.
Urassaya: After learning about everything that happened, I feel like the whole mission worked out because of teamwork. No one knew each other before this event, but they all worked hard together to help the kids get out. A group of total strangers all came together for this one mission to help the 13. Once I started working on this project, I realised the whole thing was a miracle and even got goosebumps. It was an immense accomplishment.
What was the most challenging moment filming the series?
Urassaya: The most challenging thing for me was trying to not be fluent in Thai since I already am, but I had to do the opposite. It's a good thing we had a lot of foreigners on set so I could observe and listen to how they said words. Kelly's character is half Thai and whenever she comes to visit her grandmother, who's a farmer in Chiang Rai, she would pick up Thai phrases like ken krok kuen phoo khao (attempt a difficult task) or nam kuen hai reeb tak. I had to say such phrases as a non-native speaker.
Manatsanun: There were a lot of obstacles during filming. We shot the series at the real location when Covid-19 cases were high, so we had to be extra careful about safety. The first day of shooting was probably the hardest for me due to the language barrier and communication. Even though all the lead characters in the series are Thais, many on the film crew were foreigners. They hand you a script and explain things, and then you go out to film right away -- that was a little tough. The first week was really hard, but we managed to pull it through.
What about your most memorable moment?
Urassaya: The most memorable moment was going to the real location, and getting to go inside the cave. By getting to see the real location, I saw more clearly how much the 13 had to struggle. I was already feeling claustrophobic even if I didn't go in all the way, but they had to fight to the last second until the divers came in. It was incredible. If I hadn't been here in this show, I wouldn't have realised how difficult it was to bring the boys out.
Manatsanun: Mine would be the first day where Yaya and I had to film our first scene together in a pineapple field. We already knew each other, but this was our first time working together. It was a scene where Pim has to drive Kelly to a potential spot where water might be drained and walk Kelly through it. So I was driving this Jeep in the mud -- which I had never done before -- and the rain was pouring down. Yaya looked at me and asked, 'Donut, you can drive, right?', and I made it -- with some sliding action along the way.
Can you give a reason why one shouldn't miss watching the Thai Cave Rescue?
Urassaya: The most eye-opening part is the authenticity of the show because we filmed at the real location, had accurate sets and the story is exciting. When I first read the script, I was very excited, and I'm sure everyone will be on the edge of their seats. I was impressed every single day I was on set, and I hope everyone will be just as impressed with this untold side of the story. I hope you guys enjoy it.
