Ayla, het Tsunami Meisje

During the Christmas holidays, the Dutch girl Ayla and her family were staying in a seaside hotel in Sri Lanka when the tsunami of 2004 hit the coast. The massive tidal wave dragged her under and she almost drowned, but a fruit vendor pulled her out of the water. A few days before, she had taken his picture to send to him as a New Year's card. Once she is safely back at home, Ayla calmly tells her story, but we realise that she is still dealing with the trauma on a daily basis. Drawing soothes her, but walking along the North Sea is still hard for her. Maybe next year. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)