Tsunami, The Aftermath
Gina McKee plays Kim
Gina McKee plays Kim, a meek wife to a domineering husband (played by Owen Teale) and mother to two teenage boys. Her life is transformed overnight when the tsunami lays waste to the Thai holiday resort at which she and her family are taking a Christmas break.
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Gina, who first made her name in the excellent ´óÏó´«Ã½ Two epic, Our Friends in the North, a decade ago, says that she was drawn to Tsunami, The Aftermath by its writer.
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"When I first heard about it, I thought 'great, Abi Morgan!' I thought Sex Traffic was outstanding. And I wasn't disappointed when I read this script. She's done a terrific job."
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The actress, who has headlined in such memorable ´óÏó´«Ã½ dramas as The Lost Prince and The Lavender List, articulates her feelings about her character in Tsunami, The Aftermath.
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"I'm not at all like her," she says. "She has a submissiveness and a timidity which I just don't have. She starts as a mother and a wife – that's her purpose in life and she's very happy with it.
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"Her husband has always been the decision-maker in their relationship, and she has got out of the practice of dealing with problems. One of her functions in the drama is to examine how someone not used to handling difficulties would cope in this cataclysmic situation."
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In the event, Gina continues, when Kim gets separated from her husband and older son in the tsunami and doesn't know what has become of them, "she copes remarkably well.
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"She has to make huge adjustments and has to face repercussions that will be with her forever. She is devastated and scared, but she shows an awful lot of guts."
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The Sunderland-born actress, who researched thoroughly by watching documentaries and reading articles about the event, was profoundly moved by the experience of meeting Thais who had lived through the disaster.
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"They're the most amazing people," the actress says, the respect clear in her voice. "I really warmed to them. I felt very safe and happy there. They have an effortless, undemonstrative and egalitarian attitude which I like a lot. I found it really refreshing.
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"Part of their culture is that they must save face. So while they're very welcoming and polite and gentle, sometimes it was hard to get them to talk about their experiences because they didn't want to upset you.
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"But if you came at it from a more obtuse angle, they would open up. They reacted to events with incredible dignity."
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The actress, who has also headlined in Scenes of a Sexual Nature, Notting Hill, The Forsyte Saga, Croupier, and Wonderland, recalls her shock when she encountered one survivor.
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"I met one woman in Khao Lak who kept elephants for trekking. She showed me where her house was destroyed by the wave, and it was truly shocking.
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"Her house was quite high up a hill, so you could see very easily why so many houses had been damaged. The plains below her house stretched for miles and miles and they had been devastated. After the tsunami struck, this woman looked after survivors for two days till aid got through."
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For this reason, the actress thinks it was vital to shoot in situ. "It was really important to film Tsunami, The Aftermath where it actually happened.
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"I can't think of any alternatives. The flora and fauna in Thailand are very particular to that area, and the locations give the film a real sense of authenticity."
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Gina, who is soon to be seen in Atonement and When Did You Last See Your Father?, acknowledges that beforehand she had some worries.
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"Naturally, you're always concerned not to upset people, but I knew that because of the approach of the filmmakers it was being done with genuine integrity. I felt reassured by that. The film deals with the event in a mature and responsible way."
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The actress concludes that, "I hope the drama reminds people that although the tsunami took place two years ago, the people affected by it still need support.
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"Beyond that, I think the film doesn't leave you feeling devastated or unnecessarily negative. It shows what resources people can draw on in extreme circumstances."
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