A Scientific Look Featurette at Freediving for ‘The Deepest Breath’ Doc

A Scientific Look Featurette at Freediving for ‘The Deepest Breath’ Doc

by Alex Billington
July 27, 2023
Source: YouTube

“Think about the Mammalian Diving Reflex and what it does for you.” Netflix released a 7-min featurette looking at “The Science of Freediving,” considered one of the most dangerous sports on Earth. It’s just a promotion for the doc film The Deepest Breath, but it’s worth sharing – especially because it’s another opportunity to talk about how amazing this documentary is. I have been recommending The Deepest Breath ever since it premiered at Sundance (here’s my full review), as I was completely blown away by it and moved to tears by my emotions while watching it with a crowd at the festival. It’s now playing on Netflix. The film focuses on two of the world’s best free divers – people who dive down as deep as they can simply by holding their breath (also see: The Big Blue). As Italian champion Alessia Zecchini trains to break a free diving record with expert safety diver Stephen Keenan’s help, the two form a strong emotional bond. The doc explains a lot about how freediving works, however this is a fascinating featurette that plays like a short film – with info about the history of the sport, biology of diving, and more. Its worth a watch – along with the doc.

Here’s the “Science of Freediving” featurette for Laura McGann’s doc The Deepest Breath, on YouTube:

You can watch the main official trailer for McGann’s The Deepest Breath doc right here, for more footage.

This thrilling documentary tells the story of champion freediver Alessia Zecchini and expert safety diver Stephen Keenan, who seemed fated to meet at the height of their careers. Raw underwater dive footage & extensive interviews bring viewers along for their 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. From director Laura McGann, The Deepest Breath captures the gripping mix of destiny & danger at the heart of two athletes’ undeniable bond, and offers a never-before-seen glimpse into one of the most dangerous sports in the world. The Deepest Breath is directed by Irish doc filmmaker Laura McGann, director of the doc film Revolutions previously, plus a few shorts and some TV doc work. An A24, Motive Films, Ventureland Production. Produced by John Battsek, Sarah Thomson, Jamie D’Alton, Anne McLoughlin. This initially premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year (read our review). Netflix will release McGann’s The Deepest Breath streaming on Netflix starting July 19th, 2023.

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