Premiering earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival, Laura McGann’s documentary The Deepest Breath explores the life and passions of champion free-diver Alessia Zecchini. Accompanied by her safety diver, Stephen Keenan, they’ve dedicated their life to the extreme sport, which requires physical strength, mental determination, and an unwavering trust in the people who teach and support you along the way. Ahead of a July 19 release from Netflix, the first trailer has now arrived.
Jake Kring-Schreifels said in his review, “From the very beginning of The Deepest Breath, you know exactly what kind of documentary you’re in for. In the back of a car, director Laura McGann aims her camera at free-diver Alessia Zecchini and asks her a loaded question: “How do you think about death?” As you’ll later find out, Zecchini is in the midst of a global competition to swim deeper in one breath than anyone has ever done before. But the question is valid––especially when McGann cuts to the serene, crystal-blue footage of Zecchini paddling into the depths of the ocean. The camera follows her descent and subsequent sprint to the surface, where her brain loses function right before breaching; her eyes roll back while safety instructors begin performing CPR. “I’m not afraid of death,” she answers. When she regains consciousness, ready to dive again, you believe her.”
See the trailer below.
The Deepest Breath arrives on Netflix on July 19.