On Dec. 26, 2004, the most devastating tsunami in recorded history took the lives of more than 150,000 people in Southeast Asia. Most were residents, many were on holiday, and some were there doing charitable work. Two of them were part of the Harvard-Westlake family.

Orlantha Ambrose '88, a highly skilled violinist, started a charitable foundation when she was just out of college - and a teacher herself -- called The Strings by the Sea. The organization provides music lessons to underprivileged inner-city school children. In 2004, Orlantha took a two-year leave from her job in Los Angeles to teach music to children in her father's native Sri Lanka. That Christmas, her father, Dr. Anton Ambrose P'88 '92, and her mother, Beulah P'88 '92, traveled to Sri Lanka to visit her.

The Ambrose family was vacationing at a wildlife preserve when the tsunami struck. Beulah and Orlantha did not survive.

On Nov. 17 at the Coldwater Canyon campus, about 380 people crowded into the 322-seat Rugby Auditorium to see the American premiere of Blood & Water. The 80-minute documentary, written and produced by Rohan Fernando, features Dr. Anton Ambrose and Cezhan Ambrose '92, Orlantha's younger brother.

Before seeing this documentary, one might assume it was a sad story. One might not assume, however, that Dr. Ambrose himself was right next to his wife and mere feet from his daughter when the enormous surge of waves engulfed them. Nor would one assume that Dr. Ambrose was helping the local hospital care for thousands of other victims while waiting and hoping the rescue workers would find his wife and daughter - alive.

Dr. Ambrose didn't know for a couple days what the fates of Beulah and Orlantha were, although he suspected it wasn't good. Being a physician, he instinctively focused on caring for the thousands of injured Sri Lankans and tourists brought to the hospital, while hoping his wife and daughter would be among the survivors.

The documentary started about a year after the tsunami. Dr. Ambrose was going back to Sri Lanka to do a fundraiser for The Strings by the Sea. Throughout the time he was in Sri Lanka for this event, the producer included segments of interviews with Cezhan and clips from family videos taken years ago when Orlantha and Cezhan were much younger.

In one such clip from the past, Orlantha was about 9 or 10 years old, and was being interviewed about her violin playing. The interviewer asked what she'd like to be when she grew up, and in the matter-of-fact way only a child can answer, Orlantha stated she'd like to be a doctor - specifically, an obstetrician (like her father), as well as a professional violinist. The interviewer asked how she might manage to do both of these, and young Orlantha replied, "Well, I could be a doctor during the day and play the violin at night."

Performing Arts Producer and Box Office Manager Ruth Chobanu said, "This event was amazing and IÕm so glad to have been a part of it." Harvard-Westlake sophomore, Chelsea M., who helped with the event and also watched the documentary, commented, "I thought the documentary was very moving, and my initial reaction was that I just felt so bad for Dr. Ambrose and his son, because I can't imagine ever losing close family like that. The film made me realize that I can't take the time I have with close family and friends for granted, because things happen in the blink of an eye, and you can't turn back the clock. I commend Dr. Ambrose for being so strong, and I think it's amazing that they are keeping Orlantha's spirit alive by keeping The Strings by the Sea program alive."