The Impossible Premiere – 19th November 2012

The entertainment world and IODR joined forces for the Charity Film Premiere of The Impossible - of which IODR were the official UK charity partners. This spectacular evening event held at the prestigious Grange Holborn Hotel and then BFI IMAX, saw a star studded guest list including Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, Tom Holland, the film’s Director, J. A. Bayona and a host of the other film’s talented contributors in attendance.

Based on a true story, The Impossible is the unforgettable account of a family caught, with tens of thousands of strangers, in the mayhem of one of the worst natural catastrophes of our time. However the true-life terror is tempered by the unexpected displays of compassion, courage and simple kindness that Maria (Naomi Watts) and her family encounter during the darkest hours of their lives. Both epic and intimate, devastating and uplifting, The Impossible is a journey to the core of the human heart.

100% of the proceeds from the tickets sold for this event were donated to IODR, for use in rehabilitation projects for those affected by the 2004 Asian Tsunami. The Chairman of IODR stated that it was a privilege to be associated with such a successful and powerful film, with so many brilliant performances. The extraordinary Naomi Watts, after describing her role as ’the most physically demanding thing [she had] ever done’, talked about the Tsunami victims’ courage and heroism. Maria Belon - played by Naomi in the film - insisted that the story is about hope: ‘If we are alive, we have hope’. Ewan McGregor also discussed the story’s focus on the simple divide between the lucky and unlucky.