I had never even heard of the sport of free diving before watching this documentary. The idea is to see how deep you can dive on a single breath. From childhood, Italian diver, Alessia Zecchini is obsessed with the sport and with chasing the world record dive. Restless Irish adventurer, Stephen Keenan becomes a renowned safety diver in Dahab, Egypt. The two meet during a competition there and develop a romantic relationship. They attempt to dive the notorious Blue Hole which has already taken many lives. The film makes it clear that there will be a tragedy but cleverly holds off on the nature of it until near the end which adds a nice element of suspense and surprise.
In some ways the film is a portrait of the tragedy that obsession can bring. Watching the divers black out due to the loss of oxygen to the brain only to be revived again for another attempt leaves you wondering why people would put themselves through it and how free diving can be seen as a legitimate sport with such evident risk involved. Writer, director, and cinematographer Laura McGann (who covered roller derby in the 2016 documentary Revolutions) skilfully weaves together a compelling portrait of the human need to push oneself to (and beyond) the limits of physical endurance. She also highlights the deep personal connections among the competitors, judges, trainers, and safety divers for whom the deepest breath is only a moment away from the last breath.
In some ways the film is a portrait of the tragedy that obsession can bring. Watching the divers black out due to the loss of oxygen to the brain only to be revived again for another attempt leaves you wondering why people would put themselves through it and how free diving can be seen as a legitimate sport with such evident risk involved. Writer, director, and cinematographer Laura McGann (who covered roller derby in the 2016 documentary Revolutions) skilfully weaves together a compelling portrait of the human need to push oneself to (and beyond) the limits of physical endurance. She also highlights the deep personal connections among the competitors, judges, trainers, and safety divers for whom the deepest breath is only a moment away from the last breath.