As part of Alloway Library’s Academic Video Online collection, TWU students and employees have access to The First Wave . With exclusive access inside one of New York’s hardest hit hospital systems during the terrifying first four months of the pandemic, this timely documentary spotlights the everyday heroes at the epicenter of COVID-19. Leaving a devastating trail of death and despair, this once-in-a-century pandemic changed the very fabric of our daily lives and exposed long-standing inequities in our society. Employing his signature approach of character-driven cinema vérité, director Matthew Heineman embeds with a group of doctors, nurses and patients on the frontlines as they all desperately try to navigate the crisis. With each distinct storyline serving as a microcosm through which we can view the emotional and societal impacts of the pandemic, The First Wave is a testament to the strength of the human spirit.
Join the director and a frontline doctor for a free, live, panel conversation inspired by the documentary and challenge your assumptions about the lived experiences inside hospitals during the first four months of the pandemic. In this conversation, director Heineman, (Academy Award®-nominated and Emmy® Award-winning filmmaker), and Dr. Nathalie Dougé, the frontline doctor in The First Wave, will share their ultimately inspiring first-hand experiences that teach us what’s possible when we commit to the well-being of others during a crisis. Harvard’s Michelle A. Williams, Dean of the Chan School of Public Health will bring her expertise as an internationally renowned epidemiologist and public health scientist, an award-winning educator, and a widely recognized academic leader.
Learn about the documentary The First Wave
Register Now: Thursday, April 28 at 3:00pm ET/12:00pm PT/8:00pm BST (75 minutes)