After the Wave (2014): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2014, After the Wave is a documentary film directed by Amanda Blue, running about 81 minutes. “The story of 35 nations working together after the devastating 2004 tsunami” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. The Boxing Day Tsunami in 2004 was the most devastating natural disaster in modern times, killing 228,000 people across 13 countries in just a few hours. AFTER THE WAVE tells the untold story of this epic forensic operation in Thailand to identify and return home the bodies of over 5,000 victims, both locals and holidaymakers from around the world. Led by a crack Australian team, the best forensic specialists from around the world were in a race against time to give back every victim their identity. Creating forensic history, the international team’s mantra from the outset was ‘we will take them home’, a seemingly impossible ambition but one that almost succeeded. In this film forensic science intersects with powerful stories of survival and loss, attempting to make some sense out of a tragedy so bewilderingly complete that nearly a decade out it still seems far-fetched to most of us.

How it landed. With an audience score of 1.0/10, After the Wave has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. In AU you can stream it on Iwonder Amazon Channel. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch After the Wave page.

If you liked it. Fans of After the Wave tend to enjoy One Direction: This Is Us, Burn the Stage: The Movie, BTS World Tour: Love Yourself - Japan Edition and Senna.