The First Wave (film)

The First Wave
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Matthew Heineman
Produced by	Matthew Heineman Jenna Millman Leslie Norville
Cinematography	Matthew Heineman Ross McDonnell Thorsten Thielow Brian Dawson Alex Pritz
Edited by	Francisco Bello Matthew Heineman Gabriel Rhodes David Zieff
Music by	H. Scott Salinas Jon Batiste
Production companies	National Geographic Documentary Films Participant Our Time Projects
Distributed by	Neon
Release dates	October 7, 2021 (2021-10-07)(HFF) November 19, 2021 (2021-11-19)
Running time	93 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$62,376 [1]

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.

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

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]

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

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

Award	Date	Category	Recipient	Result	Ref.
Philadelphia Film Festival	November 4, 2021	Best Documentary Feature	The First Wave	Won	[15]
Critics' Choice Documentary Awards	November 14, 2021	Best Science/Nature Documentary	The First Wave	Nominated	[16]
		Best Editing	Francisco Bello, Matthew Heineman, Gabriel Rhodes, and David Zieff	Nominated
Hollywood Music in Media Awards	November 17, 2021	Song – Documentary Film	Jon Batiste (for the song "Breathe")	Nominated	[17]
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association	December 6, 2021	Best Documentary	The First Wave	Nominated	[18]
Cinema Eye Honors	March 1, 2022	Outstanding Production	Matthew Heineman, Jenna Millman and Leslie Norville	Won	[19] [20]
International Documentary Association	March 4, 2022	Pare Lorentz Award	Matthew Heineman, Jenna Millman and Leslie Norville	Won	[21] [22]
		Best Cinematography	Ross McDonnell, Thorsten Thielow, Brian Dawson, Matthew Heineman, and Alex Pritz	Nominated
Producers Guild of America Awards	March 19, 2022	Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Pictures	The First Wave	Nominated	[23]
News and Documentary Emmy Awards	September 29, 2022	Best Documentary		Won	[24] [25]
		Outstanding Cinematography: Documentary	Brian Dawson, Matthew Heineman, Ross McDonnell, Alex Pritz, Thorsten Thielow	Won
		Outstanding Direction: Documentary	Matthew Heineman	Nominated
		Outstanding Editing: Documentary	Francisco Bello, Matthew Heineman, Gabriel Rhodes, David Zieff	Won
		Outstanding Music Composition	The First Wave	Nominated
		Outstanding Sound		Nominated
		Outstanding Promotional Announcement		Nominated

References

1. "The First Wave (2021)". The Numbers . Retrieved November 27, 2021.
2. Lee, Chris (April 30, 2020). "The Race to Make the First Coronavirus Documentary Has Begun". Vulture . Retrieved June 18, 2021.
3. Thompson, Anne (October 14, 2020). "'Totally Under Control' Documentary: COVID Is Not, and Alex Gibney Found Out Why". IndieWire . Retrieved June 18, 2021.
4. Hinkle, Annette (October 6, 2021). "Documenting A Pandemic: 'The First Wave' Revisits the Fear in New York City in Spring 2020". Sag Harbour Express. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
5. Thompson, Ann (October 6, 2021). "'The First Wave': Why Were Film Festivals Too Scared to Show Matthew Heineman's Covid Doc?". IndieWire . Retrieved October 14, 2021.
6. Carey, Matthew (March 29, 2021). "NatGeo Acquires Director Matthew Heineman's Covid-19-Themed Documentary 'The First Wave,' Plans 2021 Debut". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
7. Hipes, Patrick (August 12, 2021). "Matthew Heineman's Covid Doc 'The First Wave' To Open Hamptons Film Festival". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
8. "The First Wave". Busan International Film Festival . Retrieved October 14, 2021.
9. "The First Wave". BFI London Film Festival . Archived from the original on September 7, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
10. "AFI Fest 2021 Full Lineup Announced". AFI Fest . October 13, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
11. Hammond, Pete (October 7, 2021). "'The First Wave' Review: Harrowing Covid Documentary Will Give You Chills And Reason To Get Vaccinated – Hamptons Film Festival". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
12. "The First Wave". Film Distributors Association. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
13. "The First Wave". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved November 27, 2021.
14. "The First Wave". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
15. Costello, Emily (November 4, 2021). "30th Philadelphia Film Festival Award Winners!". Philadelphia Film Society. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
16. Lattanzio, Ryan (October 8, 2021). "'Ascension' and 'Summer of Soul' Lead Critics Choice Documentary Nominations". IndieWire . Retrieved December 10, 2021.
17. "2021 Music in Visual Media Nominations". Hollywood Music in Media Awards. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
18. "'Belfast' Finds Everlasting Love with WAFCA Critics" (PDF). Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association. December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
19. Murphy, J. Kim (March 1, 2022). "Flee Wins Top Prize of Outstanding Nonfiction Feature at Cinema Eye Honors for Documentaries". Variety. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
20. Grobar, Matt (November 10, 2021). "'Flee' & 'Summer Of Soul' Lead Cinema Eye Honors Nominations". Deadline . Retrieved December 10, 2021.
21. Thompson, Anne (November 15, 2021). "2021 IDA Awards Nominations Led by 'Summer of Soul' and 'Faya Dayi'". IndieWire. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
22. Hipes, Patrick (January 6, 2022). "IDA Awards Shifts 2022 Ceremony To March As Virtual-Only Event". Deadline. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
23. Pond, Steve (December 10, 2021). "'Ascension,' 'Flee' and 'Summer of Soul' Land Producers Guild Documentary Nominations". TheWrap. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
24. "NOMINEES ANNOUNCED FOR THE 43RD ANNUAL NEWS & DOCUMENTARY EMMY® AWARDS" (PDF). National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences . July 28, 2022. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
25. "WINNERS FOR THE DOCUMENTARY CATEGORIES OF THE 43rd ANNUAL NEWS & DOCUMENTARY EMMY® AWARDS ANNOUNCED" (PDF). National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences . September 29, 2022. Retrieved September 30, 2022.

External links

• The First Wave at IMDb