Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

How Emmy-Winning Filmmaker Pailin Wedel Got Hooked on The Trapped 13'

05/10/2022

Back to All News

How Emmy-Winning Filmmaker Pailin Wedel Got Hooked on The Trapped 13'

Netflix Staff

Netflix Staff

Entertainment

05 October 2022

GlobalThailand

At one point, the boys were convinced that if they dug hard enough, they would end up at an orange orchard. This was one of the snippets that the world is hearing for the first time in The Trapped 13: How We Survived the Thai Cave , a documentary that features exclusive interviews with the survivors who were rescued from a cave in Thailand after 17 days.

Ahead of the film's debut on October 5, director Pailin Wedel talks about why she embarked on the documentary and what inspired her.

What were you doing when the story of the trapped boys made news?

I was about to get married when the news broke! As a journalist, my phone was just going off with messages from people asking me to cover the news, which I couldn't at that time. When they were found, I actually cried. I couldnt just believe they were still alive! This documentary really focuses on the same questions I had then: How did they survive and what was going through their minds?

How did you come on board this documentary project?

I was initially hired as a researcher for the Thai Cave Rescue series to interview the boys and their parents, as well as Coach Eak. But Netflix had the incredible foresight to ask me to see if there were documentary possibilities during that process. I wasnt convinced at first: Did the boys and the coach do anything interesting as they waited to be rescued? What more was there to say with all the other films in production?

But when I spoke to them for the first time, it dawned on me that there weren't that many people in the world who have heard their perspectives. News articles cover the facts but they aren't able to go in-depth into the emotions, thoughts and feelings of the boys.

The story that came out of these interviews was amazing. It was full of hope, setbacks, perseverance, and even humor. It was inspiring. Thats when I was hooked. A documentary wasnt only possible but important. They had things to say thats never been heard before.

What were some of your initial reservations?

We were very concerned about the boys mental well-being and did not want to produce the documentary if they exhibited signs of trauma. Before meeting the boys, I consulted with Netflixs MIND team (which included mental health experts) on recognizing signs of trauma.

We started by having informal chats with all 12 boys and their parents. While they all did well during the initial chat, we only interviewed those who clearly showed us they wanted to tell their story and were enthusiastic to do so. We combined the interviews for the mini-series with the documentary interviews as much as we could to limit the amount of time they had to spend thinking about the topic.

So what do you think helped the boys to survive?

I was surprised by how big of a role Coach Eak played in keeping them together. I truly believe they survived because of the leadership Coach Eak and his right-hand person, Tee, exhibited. They constantly had tactics to distract and periodically inject the other boys with hope.

At the same time, the boys themselves played a big part in their own survival. When we were filming the re-creations in the cave, full-grown adults on our crew were scared. But because these boys grew up with a lot of challenges, they were tougher than most. Im not sure a group of city kids would survive stuck in the cave as long as they did.

The Wild Boars have a lot of grit and while they don't seem to be traumatized from being trapped in the cave, they live with a lot of guilt for causing such a fuss. Many of them feel they have to be perfect to be deserving of the amount of effort put into saving them.

How has this story inspired you?

We live in a rather bleak world today. But this story reminds us that even when things are at its worst - most people did not even think the boys would be alive - there is always a small hope of survival.

Catch The Trapped 13: How We Survived The Thai Cave exclusively on Netflix from October 5.
LINK: https://about.netflix.com/en/news/the-trapped-13-director-pailin-wedel...
See more stories from netflix

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

07/10/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Media Operations from Ingest to Distribution

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...

07/09/2026

Get to Know This Fall and Winter's Filmmakers Through These 24 Sundance Institute-Supported Films

By Ramona Flume and Lucy Spicer There's a particular kind of magic that hap...

07/09/2026

HeadRush launch the FRFR Cab Series

Two new full-range, flat-response cabinets introduced HeadRush have recently introduced a pair of new full-range, flat-response cabinets designed for player...

07/09/2026

GameSoundCon 2026

Answering questions about AI in game audio GameSoundCon, the largest professional conference for video game music and sound design, have announced that they...

07/09/2026

DPA to launch the 6388 Core+

New directional headset mic on show at IBC Just ahead of this week's IBC show, DPA have announced the launch of a new directional headset that's bee...

07/09/2026

Accurate.Video rallies Iyuno to rework 35,000 media assets ahead of schedule

We are not building systems to replace human decision-making; we are building systems that execute our decisions at machine speed. The media companies that win ...

07/09/2026

Blackmagic Design Announces New Lower Price for Blackmagic PYXIS 6K and Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K

Blackmagic Design Announces New Lower Price for Blackmagic PYXIS 6K and Blackmag...

07/09/2026

GB Labs to Unveil Core.ONE at IBC2026, an Intelligent Storage Platform for Media Teams

GB Labs to Unveil Core.ONE at IBC2026, an Intelligent Storage Platform for Media...

07/09/2026

Freddie Meredith joins cast of SNL UK ahead of start of Season 2

Monday 7 September 2026 Freddie Meredith joins cast of SNL UK ahead of start of Season 2 Freddie Meredith Images ZIP (3MB) Saturday Night Live UK announces ...

07/09/2026

Sky and NFTS team up to launch new routes into screen careers

Monday 7 September 2026 Sky and NFTS team up to launch new routes into screen careers Sky has today announced a new apprenticeship programme, with application...

07/09/2026

Sky Sports announces most comprehensive NFL coverage to date for the 2026/27 season

Monday 7 September 2026 Sky Sports announces most comprehensive NFL coverage to...

07/09/2026

Jnger Audio Showcases Industry-First S-ADM Cloud Workflow at IBC 2026

Dolby, MainConcept, Techex and J nger Audio will showcase the industry's first demonstration of Serial Audio Definition Model (S-ADM) in a cloud-based produ...

07/09/2026

dB Broadcast to Showcase APIS Hive at IBC 2026

dB Broadcast will showcase APIS Hive, its software platform for designing, deploying and managing modern broadcast infrastructures, at IBC 2026. Developed from...

07/09/2026

A KNOCKOUT 1.6 MILLION VIEWERS WATCHED KATIE TAYLOR'S FINAL BOUT FREE -TO -AIR ON RT2

552,000 streams on RT Player The historic fight, which saw Katie Taylor become...

06/09/2026

BS-203 MacroAcidizer from Born Second

Recreates Rolands TB-303 & MC-202 BS-203 MacroAcidizer is the first virtual instrument from Born Second, and it offers a recreation of two Roland classics -...

06/09/2026

PlayBox Technology Opens Design Partner Programme for New...

London, UK September 2026 PlayBox Technology is inviting broadcasters, OTT and FAST operators, content owners and media organisations worldwide to become De...

06/09/2026

Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Germany with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos

June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...

05/09/2026

HEDD Audio update CTRL software

MK2 & Bass system control app improved HEDD Audio have just launched a new and improved version of the control software that pairs with their MK2 and Bass m...

05/09/2026

CALL FOR ENTRIES IS NOW OPEN FOR THE 20TH ANNUAL SOUTH AFRICAN FILM & TELEVISION AWARDS (SAFTAs20) EXTENDED

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...

05/09/2026

Orlando Magic, Gray Media Ink Ful-Season Broadcast Deal

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/09/2026

YouTube TV Adds ESPN Unlimited

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/09/2026

InSync Brings Conversion Workflow Flexibility to IBC 2026

InSync Technology, the leading provider of premium video conversion solutions, will showcase a new generation of products at IBC 2026, designed to help broadcas...

05/09/2026

GlobalM supports quattro media and World Rowing with Glob...

GlobalM successfully supported quattro media GmbH and World Rowing, the world governing body of the Olympic sport of Rowing, with the international distribution...

05/09/2026

Scripps Research professor Chi-Huey Wong to receive ACS Alfred Bader Award

LA JOLLA, CA-In recognition of his exceptional work to understand the chemistry of carbohydrates and the role they play in health and disease, Scripps Family Ch...

04/09/2026

Business Innovation Synergizer FAQ: What applicants need to know

Media organisations interested in the Media Innovation Europe 3.0 Business Innovation Synergizer (BIS) can now consult a new FAQ document providing additional a...

04/09/2026

IBC 2026: Eluvio Showcases Global Broadcast Fabric Updates

Eluvio will demonstrate updates to its Content Fabric platform at IBC2026 (Hall 8, Stand 8.MS5, and Future Tech Zone, Hall 14, Stand 14.A58, September 11-14). C...

04/09/2026

IBC 2026: LiveU Joins IBC Accelerator Smart Stories Consortium

LiveU has joined the IBC Accelerator's Smart Stories consortium, a multi-vendor initiative developing an open standard for Story Context interoperability in...

04/09/2026

IBC 2026: Telos Alliance to Demonstrate Audio Observability Capabilities

Telos Alliance will demonstrate new audio observability capabilities at IBC2026 (Stand 8.D37, RAI Amsterdam, September 11-14), covering monitoring of audio heal...

04/09/2026

World Team Tennis Announces Broadcast Partnership with Versants USA Sports

World Team Tennis (WTT) has announced a broadcast partnership with USA Sports, the sports division of Versant. USA Sports will air all six of WTT's live mat...

04/09/2026

Gravity Media Appoints Alex Pannell as Chief Business Officer

Gravity Media has appointed Alex Pannell as Chief Business Officer. Pannell joins from Appear, where he served as Chief Commercial Officer. He will be based in ...

04/09/2026

IBC 2026: Dalet Expands Dalia AI Platform with Agentic Workflow Capabilities

By Carrie Bowden Staff Writer Dalet has announced new agentic workflow capabilities for Dalia, its AI platform for media organizations, ahead of IBC2026. The ...

04/09/2026

IBC 2026: L-Acoustics Achieves EN 54 Certification Across Loudspeaker and Amplifier Portfolio

L-Acoustics has achieved EN 54 certification across a portfolio of loudspeakers,...

04/09/2026

IBC 2026: EVS and Matrox Video Announce Technology Partnership for Dynamic Media Facility Deployments

EVS and Matrox Video have announced a technology partnership integrating Matrox ...

04/09/2026

IBC 2026: NEP to Showcase Software-Defined Live Production

NEP Group will exhibit at IBC2026 (Hall 7, Stand 7.B55, RAI Amsterdam, September 11-14), demonstrating software-defined production capabilities across NEP Platf...

04/09/2026

FoMaSystems and ARRI Honored with Engineering Emmy for ARRI TRINITY 2

The Television Academy has awarded an Engineering Emmy to Dr. Roman Foltyn, Chief Engineer of FoMaSystems, and Curt O. Schaller for the development of the ARRI ...

04/09/2026

IBC 2026: InSync Technology to Showcase Frame Rate and Standards Conversion

InSync Technology will exhibit at IBC2026 (Stand 2.C30, RAI Amsterdam, September 11-14), demonstrating its FrameFormer and InGear conversion platforms for frame...

04/09/2026

Professional Triathletes Organization Signs Agreement with Sela to Host Events in Saudi Arabia

The Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) has signed a multi-year agreemen...

04/09/2026

IBC 2026: Accedo and MediaKind Launch Joint Streaming Solution for Operators

Accedo and MediaKind have announced a white-label, end-to-end streaming solution for operators, combining Accedo's native application framework and cloud-ba...

04/09/2026

IBC 2026: TAG Video Systems Launches TAG Blue Cloud Monitoring Platform

TAG Video Systems has announced TAG Blue, a cloud platform for shared monitoring visibility across video delivery chains, with AI-powered root-cause analysis. T...

04/09/2026

IBC 2026: TwelveLabs Launches Video Compliance Platform with NVIDIA Deepfake Detection

TwelveLabs has launched a video compliance platform for media organizations, inc...

04/09/2026

Television Academy and NATAS Announce 2026 Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy Award Recipients

The Television Academy and the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences ha...

04/09/2026

KeySolutions Sounds release Traveler

Powerful new soft synth announced Traveler is the first software instrument to be released by KeySolutions Sounds, and it's an ambitious one! Said to co...

04/09/2026

e-instruments launch Velvet Guitars Fragment

Free virtual instrument range expanded The latest expansion of e-instruments' free Fragments series introduces a packed-down version of the company'...

04/09/2026

Accentize Chameleon wins Emmy Award

Company recognised for second time Two years after winning an Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy Award for dxRevive Pro, Accentize have been recognised ...

04/09/2026

AgileTV and Friend MTS Complete CDN Watermarking Integration to Fast-Track Anti-Piracy Protection for Operators

Bilbao - 3rd September 2026 -AgileTV, a leading provider of end-to-end TV and vi...

04/09/2026

Net Insight to Launch Nimbra 1020G at 2026 IBC Show

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

04/09/2026

Disney, Optimum Renew Carriage Deal

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

04/09/2026

ACEMAGIC First to Introduce Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 495 AI Mini Workstation at IFA 2026

ACEMAGIC First to Introduce Ryzen AI Max PRO 495 AI Mini Workstation at IFA 202...

04/09/2026

Krotos Brings Video to Sound Footsteps Directly into Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve

Krotos Brings Video to Sound Footsteps Directly into Premiere Pro and DaVinci Re...