The Deepest Breath

The Deepest Breath

Release Date

2023

Director

  • Laura McGann

A champion freediver and expert safety diver seemed destined for one another, meeting at the pinnacle of the freediving world. A look at the thrilling rewards—and inescapable risks—of chasing dreams through the depths of the ocean.

    Champion freediver Alessia Zecchini fell in love with the sport as a child growing up in Italy, astounding coaches with her raw talent and determination in pool swims and open water contests before she was even old enough to legally compete. Irish adventurer-turned-expert safety diver Stephen Keenan, meanwhile, was raised near the sea, but as a young man he set out on a quest to find himself, traveling across Africa before landing in Dahab, Egypt, and establishing a dive school. Despite their very different paths, the two would meet at the pinnacle of the competitive freediving world, discovering a shared passion for pushing their limits and forming a powerful relationship that felt like fate. From director Laura McGann, this thrilling documentary takes a look inside one of the most dangerous sports in the world, using everything from raw underwater dive footage to childhood home movies to chronicle Zecchini and Keenan’s lives and careers. The bond between them propels the film’s emotional journey into the stunning, silent depths of the ocean, a breathtaking place unseen by all but the fortunate few—where exhilarating accomplishments and unavoidable risks await.

    Photo credit: Netflix

    Past Programs

    2023