The First Wave: if someone needs a reminder (or even a primer) of how brutal the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic were, this Matthew Heineman’s documentary is as good as any. He focuses on a few patients and the healthcare workers of one particular hospital in New York City, but that experience is likely very similar to every hospital in the world during the local first waves. A word of warning: this is not for the faint of heart. The selection of characters to follow is spot-on: the medical doctor opens up the window to show the despair of the professionals as they find themselves unable to save patients, while the patients allow the catharsis of recovery. The level of access (to the people, to the hospital facilities) is very good, giving the team of editors much to weave the narrative. A very emotional and effective film.