It was announced that Patricia Riggen will be directing The 33, the story of the 33 Chilean Miners who were trapped in the San Jose Mine. The film will cover the events leading up to the collapse of the mine and the subsequent rescue efforts through both the miners and their families points of view. It will also delve into the first 17 days that the miners were trapped before contact was made, a story that has not been told until now.
Riggen has previously directed Girl in Progress (released on DVD this week) and Under the Same Moon which premiered in Sundance in 2007.
In the press release, producer Mike Medavoy says of Riggen:
I saw in her film [Under the Same Moon] not only her talent but the real humanity and humor that this film needs. Patricia has the heart and sensibility to bring this story to life in a way that accurately reflects what the miners and their families endured.
Riggen is currently meeting with the miners in Chile. Here’s what she said:
It’s been an extraordinary experience to meet the miners in person and hear from them the detailed account of their time underground. Since their rescue a little less than two years ago, the real story of their incredible survival has gone untold. In their darkest hour, they struggled to maintain their unity. The collapse brought out the best and the worst in them. Ultimately, the human spirit triumphed and all of them came out alive. I feel honored to have the opportunity to bring their extraordinary story to the world.
The film will begin shooting in Chile in January 2013 with a late targeted release for the Fall of 2013.
