The First Wave (15)
Directed by Matthew Heineman 
★★★★★

FOR anti-vaxxers and those who still believe Covid-19 is just like the flu, Matthew Heineman’s no-holds-barred, gut-wrenching documentary is a stark reminder of how exactly deadly coronavirus is as it explores the unrelenting fight by front-line medical staff to battle the disease and save lives.

With exclusive access to one of New York’s hardest-hit hospitals, the film chronicles the first wave of the pandemic in March last year as seen through the eyes of emergency workers.

It follows Dr Nathalie Douge, her staff and two Covid patients as they fight to survive — 35-year-old Ahmed Ellis, who works with the NYPD, and Brussels Jabon, a pregnant nurse who was forced to have an emergency caesarean section — as well as their families.

It is an extremely difficult film to watch as the camera captures the desperation and emotional breakdown of doctors and nurses who witness the deaths of patient after patient. They stand holding a minute’s silence at the bedside of one dead victim while another is seen being bagged up and taken to a makeshift mortuary, full of bodies in plastic bags. 

Skilfully crafted, Heineman delivers a powerful US counterpart to 76 Days, which captured the pandemic in Wuhan and a fitting homage to healthcare workers everywhere. A must-see film for Covid cynics and waverers.

MD 

In cinemas November 26