# The First Wave (film)

The First Wave is a 2021 American documentary film, directed and produced by Matthew Heineman. The film follows a hospital in New York City, as it battles the COVID-19 pandemic. Alex Gibney serves as an executive producer.
It had its world premiere at the Hamptons Film Festival on October 7, 2021. It released on November 19, 2021, by Neon.

## Synopsis

The film follows a hospital in New York City from March to June 2020 as it battles the COVID-19 pandemic. The film examines structural factors that influenced the initial COVID outbreak and how such factors impact American society more broadly.

## Production

In April 2020, it was announced Heineman would direct a documentary film revolving around the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on health care workers with Alex Gibney set to serve as an executive producer.
Matthew Heineman reached out to a source from his previous film Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare, to explore access opportunities at different medical facilities in New York, with Long Island Jewish Medical Center allowing Heineman and his crew to film. Donning the same personal protective equipment as hospital staff, two-person teams deployed to chronicle unfolding events. No crew members contracted the virus during production.

## Release

In March 2021, Neon and National Geographic Documentary Films acquired distribution rights to the film. It had its world premiere at the Hamptons International Film Festival on October 7, 2021. It also screened at the Busan International Film Festival and BFI London Film Festival on October 9, 2021. It will also screen at AFI Fest in November 2021. It released in the United States on November 19, 2021. and in the United Kingdom on November 26, 2021, by Dogwoof.

## Reception
### Critical reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 96% based on 27 reviews, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The website's consensus reads "The First Wave presents a starkly gripping snapshot of a crisis unfolding -- and its grim toll on those who put their lives on the line to fight it". On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 85 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".

### Accolades

| Award | Date | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
| Philadelphia Film Festival | November 4, 2021 | Best Documentary Feature | The First Wave | Won | |
| Critics' Choice Documentary Awards | November 14, 2021 | Best Science/Nature Documentary | The First Wave | Nominated | |
| Critics' Choice Documentary Awards | November 14, 2021 | Best Editing | Francisco Bello, Matthew Heineman, Gabriel Rhodes, and David Zieff | Nominated | |
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | November 17, 2021 | Song – Documentary Film | Jon Batiste (for the song "Breathe") | Nominated | |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association | December 6, 2021 | Best Documentary | The First Wave | Nominated | |
| Cinema Eye Honors | March 1, 2022 | Outstanding Production | Matthew Heineman, Jenna Millman and Leslie Norville | Won | |
| International Documentary Association | March 4, 2022 | Pare Lorentz Award | Matthew Heineman, Jenna Millman and Leslie Norville | Won | |
| International Documentary Association | March 4, 2022 | Best Cinematography | Ross McDonnell, Thorsten Thielow, Brian Dawson, Matthew Heineman, and Alex Pritz | Nominated | |
| Producers Guild of America Awards | March 19, 2022 | Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Pictures | The First Wave | Nominated | |
| News and Documentary Emmy Awards | September 29, 2022 | Best Documentary | The First Wave | Won | [24] [25] |
| News and Documentary Emmy Awards | September 29, 2022 | Outstanding Cinematography: Documentary | Brian Dawson, Matthew Heineman, Ross McDonnell, Alex Pritz, Thorsten Thielow | Won | [24] [25] |
| News and Documentary Emmy Awards | September 29, 2022 | Outstanding Direction: Documentary | Matthew Heineman | Nominated | [24] [25] |
| News and Documentary Emmy Awards | September 29, 2022 | Outstanding Editing: Documentary | Francisco Bello, Matthew Heineman, Gabriel Rhodes, David Zieff | Won | [24] [25] |
| News and Documentary Emmy Awards | September 29, 2022 | Outstanding Music Composition | The First Wave | Nominated | [24] [25] |
| News and Documentary Emmy Awards | September 29, 2022 | Outstanding Sound | The First Wave | Nominated | [24] [25] |
| News and Documentary Emmy Awards | September 29, 2022 | Outstanding Promotional Announcement | The First Wave | Nominated | [24] [25] |