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Landing onto Netflix today is the freediving docu-film, The Deepest Breath. The documentary from writer/director Laura McGann, follows the story of freedivers Stephen Keenan and Alessia Zecchini, and details their experiences with this extreme sport, including the triumphs and tragedies.

Told using a mix of archive footage, photographs, interview recordings, recreations, and recent interviews, The Deepest Breath takes audiences on a journey which explores the relationship between Stephen and Alessia, as well as their own experiences in diving. The Deepest Breath is interested in showcasing what it is like to dive without breathing equipment, as well as the dangers that come with it, while at the same time it brings a human interest story to the screen.

A big chunk of The Deepest Breath is about explaining the background of Stephen and Alessia. Both could be described as free-spirits, both adventurous, and both very comfortable in the sea.

In the case of Stephen, after a series of adventures abroad he got into freediving, before moving across to safety diving. Here he built up a reputation for maintaining safe conditions on all the freedives he worked on, and became something of a high-profile name in his sector.

As for Alessia, diving has been a passion throughout her life, and a continual desire to push boundaries and break records has been a constant motivator. As the docu-film makes clear, she pushes ever onward, despite significant setbacks.

After establishing the backgrounds of both key figures, the documentary then goes on to look at their relationship, as well as Alessia’s attempts to break new records. One such record was a freedive which required Alessia to descend to a depth of 104 meters.

As the docu-film points out, depths of over 100 meters are the equivilent of twice the height of the copper part of the Statue of Liberty, from feet to torch. Or alternatively, the full height of the Statue of Liberty, from ground level to torch.

To put it simply, these are huge depths, which freedivers descend to without any oxygen. This is a very dangerous pursuit, and something which brings incredible risks and can result in death.

The docu-film explains this in detail, and even shows what can happen to a diver when they begin to blackout from a lack of oxygen. These moments are quite distressing, and the docu-film does have a sombre and tragic sting in its tail.

While freediving is not something I would ever consider attempting myself, and my knowledge of this sport was non-existent prior to watching The Deepest Breath, I found this docu-film to be engrossing. Writer/director Laura McGann ensures the film is informative and insightful, and at the same time she never loses sight of the two key figures in this story.

The Deepest Breath is about freediving, but it is also about the human spirit. The film is about what pushes us forward, why we make the choices we do, and what it means to be a hero.

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Thank you for taking the time to read this review on It’s A Stampede!. For more reviews, check out the recommended reads below.

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