The First Wave backdrop
The First Wave poster

The First Wave

Four months, New York City, 2020.

6.8 / 10
2021
94 min
Documentary
History

When Covid-19 hit New York City in 2020, filmmaker Matthew Heineman gained unique access to one of New York’s hardest-hit hospital systems. The resulting film focuses on the doctors, nurses, and patients on the frontlines during the “first wave” from March to June 2020. Their distinct storylines each serve as a microcosm to understand how the city persevered through the worst pandemic in a century