Maria Belon and Enrique Alvarez Photos Photos - Maria Belon and husband Enrique Alvarez attend the VII Conde Nast Traveler Awards at the Giner de los Rios Foundation on May 7, 2015 in Madrid, Spain. She was severely injured in the tsunami and nearly died. Keep reading. The Impossible Real Life Tsunami Survivor Maria Belon Interview. Maria describes her experience and the message she hopes to convey in The Impossible:.. The real Álvarez-Belón family used the traumatic event to shape the rest of their lives in service of others as a way to honor those that did not manage to survive. Maria Alvarez Belon, husband Quique, and sons Lucas, Simon and Tomas. Well, that's a pretty tall order. The Real Family. After several days of searching, Enrique finally found his wife and third son. Bayona, Sergio G. Sánchez, Belén Atienza & Maria Belon Talk THE IMPOSSIBLE", "WATCH: Ewan McGregor & Naomi Watts Talking About Preparing For 'The Impossible, "The Impossible submerges the true impact of the tsunami", "Naomi Watts discusses the real life inspiration for The Impossible", "The Impossible True Story: Maria Belon & Enrique Belon", "Maria Belon: The Impossible's Real-Life Survivor", "Miracle mum relives 2004 Tsunami ordeal which inspired new movie 'The Impossible, "BBC News - Tsunami survivor's impossible story hits the big screen", "The Impossible, Juan Antonio Bayona, The 2004 Thailand Tsunami, Ewan McGregor And More! The Impossible is now streaming on Netflix. Her husband, Enrique, volunteers his time at the NGO Proactiva Open Arms, which helps refugees arriving on the Greek coast from Turkey. The youngest son of the family, Simón, is also a trained lifeguard with Proactiva Open Arms, like his father. But seconds later, she and her terrified husband … [14][15][16][17], "Tsunami Survivor Maria Belon Reflects on 'The Impossible, "INTERVIEW: Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, J.A. Simón is currently still in school and studies Anthropology and Politics at University College Utrecht in the Netherlands. And it is wonderful because it means I am alive. Maria Belon, who is a doctor by profession, soon realised that the wave is a tsunami and tried her best to get away from the wave. WRITER’S NOTE: This interview was conducted back in 2012. She worked with screenwriter Sergio G. Sánchez to ensure her story was accurately told. My whole story is on my body. Actress Naomi Watts (L) and Maria Belon (R). Minutes later, Maria saw “a huge black wall” coming towards them and before anyone knew what was happening, the water crashed down and ripped through the hotel. The devastation that disrupts their paradise sets their incredible story of survival in motion. So we rang up an artist named John Clang and asked for his help. ... star as Henry and Maria Belon, parents of three young children all on Christmas vacation at a Thai beach resort. Maria, who is a doctor, works as an advocate for tsunami survivors and gives talks around the world as a motivational speaker. [12][13], Belón has appeared on numerous television shows, including Charlie Rose and The View, discussing her experience of making the film and her family's experience of the tsunami. There is no difference between me—a Spanish woman named María who is alive—and thousands of moms who are under the sea. The Spanish family was lounging at the hotel pool in 2004 when the group heard “a very horrible sound … No one recognised [it]. Maria Belon and husband Enrique Alvarez attend the VII Conde Nast Traveler Awards 2015 on May 7, 2015 in Madrid, Spain. The family tried their best to get away, however, Maria Belon got wounded after the wave caught onto her. Middle child Tomás also chose a life of service and studied at Atlantic College in Llantwit Major, Wales because of its renowned lifeguard training program. Maria Belon and husband Enrique Alvarez attend the VII Conde Nast Traveler Awards at the Giner de los Rios Foundation on May 7, 2015 in Madrid, Spain. While many disaster movies would take liberties with the story to make it a more exciting film, director Juan Antonio Bayona took great pains to ensure that the movie reflected the real-life story of the Álvarez-Belón family as closely as possible. She was severely injured in the tsunami and nearly died. Maria Belón herself praised the director’s accuracy in portraying the scariest moment of her life, having each actor standing in exactly the same spot around the swimming pool where it happened. I embrace life. María Belón (born 1966) is a Spanish physician and motivational speaker, known for surviving the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami when she was on vacation in Thailand with her husband Enrique (Quique) Álvarez and three sons Lucas, Simón and Tomás Álvarez. She has been outspoken regarding the fact that her story of survival is not the only one, and that she is only one of many who suffered and survived. L-R: Enrique Alvarez, actress Naomi Watts, actor Tom Holland, actor Ewan McGregor and Maria Belon. How The Impossible Changes The Main Family The Impossible was inspired by the experiences of María Belón, who survived the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake with her husband Enrique and three kids (Lucas, Simón and Tomás). Her husband Enrique volunteers for Proactiva Open Arms, a Spanish organization founded in 2015 that helps Turkish refugees settle at the Greek island of Lesbos. After the life-changing experience of surviving a natural disaster, Lucas knew at age 10 that he wanted to become a doctor. Get premium, high … RedCarpetNews Extra. So, where is the real family now in 2020? I can't begin to tell you what an honor and a privilege it was to be sitting across from Maria Belon, a Spanish doctor who, along with her husband and three sons, miraculously survived the … Here's 'The Map of Tiny Perfect Things' Ending, Explained [SPOILERS AHEAD], Lifetime’s ‘Death Saved My Life’ Is a “Ripped From the Headlines” Tale of Pseudocide, Fans Think They Know What Tammy Slaton's Big Secret Is on '1000-lb Sisters', What Happened to Larry King? Lucas, who is now 18 and studying medicine at University College London, is played by … Her husband and her sons were in the pool meanwhile she was in one of the showers, when the tsunami swallowed the hotel. Maria Belon, Enrique Alvarez Maria Belon and her husband Enrique Alvarez, known for surviving the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami when she was on vacation in Thailand, their story inspired the movie 'The Impossible' pose for photographers during the photocall of the 'Conde Nast Traveler Awards' in Madrid, Spain on. Also in 2015 she was a speaker at the World Business Forum. For the movie, María reportedly worked directly with screenwriter Sergio G. Sánchez to ensure the storyline's authenticity. I do not deserve to be alive, but life is not fair. [4] The family's nationality was unspecified in the film. HBO's 'Industry' Is a Finance Workplace Drama — Is It Based on a True Story? I feel pain and compassion for so many others who didn't come back up or lost the ones they love. The Impossible is based on María Belón and her husband, Enrique Álvarez, who were vacationing in Thailand with their three sons, Lucas, Tomás, and Simón. She and her husband began to move away before the wave eventually hit the shore devouring everything in its way. SURROUNDED by her family as she relaxed by the pool on a dream holiday, Maria Belon Alvarez felt she must be the luckiest woman in the world. The tsunami, which killed over 230,000 people, was one of the biggest natural disasters in the last century. The family was reunited and ultimately able to leave the country together. All the while, however, Enrique had found his other two sons and returned to the safety of the roof of their hotel. read more My whole life is extra time. María Belón: her birthday, what she did before fame, her family life, fun trivia facts, popularity rankings, and more. So Belón … in Science, Technology, and International Affairs at Georgetown University and continues to raise awareness about tsunamis and advocate for early warning systems. Maria Belon attends "The Impossible" New York special screening at Museum of Art and Design on December 12, 2012 in New York City. The Impossible Real Life Tsunami Survivor Maria Belon Interview. [10], Belón is credited in the cast of the 2012 film The Impossible for providing her story and working on the set in Thailand in the same locations as the original tsunami. Her film roles include Permanent Midnight (1998), Payback (1999), Coyote Ugly (2000), The Cooler (2003), A History of Violence (2005), The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008), Grown Ups (2010), Prisoners (2013), and Lights Out (2016). Now 26, Lucas spent the past summer as one of the heroes of the pandemic, helping thousands of COVID-19 patients at hospitals in London. She now works as an advocate for those still recovering from the effects of the tsunami. Dr Belon, her husband Henry and their three sons were holidaying in Thailand when the Indian Ocean tsunami hit on December 26, 2004. [3], She was portrayed in the 2012 film The Impossible by Naomi Watts (with the name changed to Bennett), who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance. March 26, 2019 “My name is María Belón, and I, like all of you, have survived a tsunami.” ... her husband and three sons – Lucas (10), Tomás (8) and Simón (5) – were vacationing in Thailand in 2004. YouTube. [11] Belón chose Naomi Watts to play her in the film, stating that Watts was her favorite actress after seeing the film 21 Grams. The Impossible is based on María Belón and her husband, Enrique Álvarez, who were vacationing in Thailand with their three sons, Lucas, Tomás, and Simón. Belon, who is a doctor, was reading a book at the poolside as she saw her kids and their father have a fun time in the water. ", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=María_Belón&oldid=992788600, Wikipedia articles with PLWABN identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Surviving the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, This page was last edited on 7 December 2020, at 02:46. In an article on that dust up, the Post and Courier referred to her as Mark Sanford’s ex. Vacationing with her husband Enrique Alvárez and sons Lucas, Tomás and Simón at the Orchid Resort Hotel in Khao Lak, Belón had been at the pool … Quique Alvarez, his wife Maria Belon and their three young children were swept away by a massive wall of water as they lounged around the pool at the Orchid Resort Hotel in Thailand in 2004. 1.59K subscribers. She has stated that some of her family is from the Canary Islands. In an instant, she found herself separated from Lucas, husband Quique and younger sons Tomas, eight, and five-year-old Simon. Maria Belon and Enrique Alvarez with their three kids were staying at the Orchid Resort Hotel in Thailand, on December 26, 2005. But getting everyone together for a family portrait? In the present, María Belón reportedly (via Distractify) works as a doctor and also travels around the world as a motivational speaker. She was severely injured in the tsunami and nearly died. María Belón (born May 12, 1966) is a Spanish physician and motivational speaker, known for surviving the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami when she was on vacation in Thailand with her husband Enrique (Quique) Álvarez and three sons Lucas, Simón and Tomás. The Impossible, starring Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, and a very young Tom Holland, tells the true story of the Álvarez-Belón family who survived the tsunami. Surrounded by her family as she relaxed by the pool on holiday, Maria Belon felt she must be the luckiest woman in the world. On Dec. 26, 2004, a massive underwater earthquake in the Indian Ocean triggered a tsunami that ripped through the coastlines of several Southeast Asian countries, devastating entire communities. The Spanish family was lounging at the hotel pool in 2004 when the group heard “a very horrible sound … No one recognised [it]. Injured and shocked, the members of the Belón family miraculously manage to find themselves in the rubble of a devastated and battered country. Maria Elena Bello (born April 18, 1967) is an American actress and writer. The family is separated but Maria reunites with her eldest son Lucas while her husband manages to stay with their two younger sons. Maria and Enrique’s three sons have also used their experiences to give back. The oldest Álvarez-Belón son studied medicine at University College in London and went on to become a doctor. Spanish-born Tomas Alvarez Belon's life changed forever on 26 December 2004, when he was caught up in the tragedy of the Indian Ocean Tsunami. Maria and her eldest, Lucas, were separated from her husband and younger sons, and ended up in a hospital, under the assumption that the rest of the family had been killed. [5][6][7][8], Belón now travels around the world as an advocate for survivors of the tsunami and gives motivational speeches about how she overcame the turmoil and two years of recovery following her injuries. But as depicted in The Impossible movie, seconds later, she and her husband and three sons were swept away by a ferocious 30 foot wall of water that devoured everything in its path. The survival of Maria Belon's family in the 2004 tsunami is a true story of hope and humanity. Nothing is 'Impossible' For Maria Belon - Front Row Features COVID-19 Wasn't Listed as the Cause of His Death. [9], She was the Spotlight Guest Speaker at the Share Iuvare Business Convention in 2015. She has said of her experience, .mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, The tsunami was an incredible gift. Photo: Maria Dias. María Belón (born May 12, 1966)[1] is a Spanish physician and motivational speaker, known for surviving the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami when she was on vacation in Thailand with her husband Enrique (Quique) Álvarez[2] and three sons Lucas, Simón and Tomás. – Lucas Belon. He later went on to complete a B.S. She studied to be a physician and also previously worked as a professor of management with the ESADE Business School, and as a business consultant for companies like Pepsi. 2012’s The Impossible tells the story of María Belón, Enrique Alvárez, and their three children Lucas, Simón and Tomás as the family survives the 2004 tsunami. In 2018, Maria Belen Chapur went public with criticism against President Donald Trump. Kent-born Naomi Watts plays Maria and Ewan McGregor is her husband. 'Tell Me Who I Am' Is the Scariest True Story on Netflix, 'Citation' Tells the Story of a Young Woman Who Stands up Against Sexual Assault. Belón’s family was on board with the project, though her husband, nicknamed Quique, was the most cautious, not understanding why their story merited a film. It felt like the Earth was coming apart but everything looked perfect.”. In 2013 she was a guest lecturer at the Instituto de Cervantes in Gibraltar. Belon was a nurse who lived in Japan with her husband before they took what was expected to be a joyous Christmas holiday to Thailand in 2004. The five were swept away by …