DISCLAIMER: Until recently, I used to be a very active freediver, an occasional safety diver and instructor. I am familiar with the tragedy that happened at Dahab.
I forgot why I really, REALLY dislike Alessia Zecchini. Actually, I can't stand her. My entire body sounds off major alarms I can only interpret as intuition: "This woman is bad news!"
This documentary reminded me why. She's a head-strong brat who was so reckless as a freediver that it was bound she'd get someone killed. That just happened to be her good friend/coach/boyfriend Stephen Keenan. And now she's made a poor man's guilt-trip documentary that wants to pay homage to the man who saved her life by sacrificing his, but still somehow winds up focusing mostly on her and her freediving journey.
"The Deepest Breath" is a disjointed documentary about competitive freediving à la Alessia Zecchini that tries to whitewash the fact that Alessia's approach to life was/perhaps still is to put herself and her ambitions first and disregard others. I'm truly sorry if I misjudged and miss-stepped, but I found way too many parts of "The Deepest Breath" a despickable, self-indulgent charade.
4 stars because the documentary does want to head into the right direction, at times with surprising candor. But it falls way short.
I forgot why I really, REALLY dislike Alessia Zecchini. Actually, I can't stand her. My entire body sounds off major alarms I can only interpret as intuition: "This woman is bad news!"
This documentary reminded me why. She's a head-strong brat who was so reckless as a freediver that it was bound she'd get someone killed. That just happened to be her good friend/coach/boyfriend Stephen Keenan. And now she's made a poor man's guilt-trip documentary that wants to pay homage to the man who saved her life by sacrificing his, but still somehow winds up focusing mostly on her and her freediving journey.
- The VERY FIRST scene is Alessia having a blackout right before surfacing from a deep dive. As a fellow freediver, I was deeply appaled and offended by this directorial decision, because it would be like a documentary about Ferrari that opens with a major car crash.
- Blackouts are not as common a thing at freediving competitions as this documentary would lead you to believe. And especially underwater blackouts are something that should be avoided at all costs! Responsible, capable, and upstanding freedivers know where their limit is and prepare beforehand so they do NOT put themselves and their safety divers at unnecessary risk. Alessia Zecchini is NOT one of those freedivers. So if the documentary wanted to portray the potential dangers of competitive freediving, Alessia Zecchini is one of the last (if not THE LAST) freedivers to talk.
- The Vertical Blue competition where Alessia had 3 blackouts one after the other was one of the most irresponsible things I've ever seen a freediver do at a competition. Putting herself in danger is one thing, but being so selfish to put her own petty goals over the safety of the safety crew is disgraceful. And a reckless, truly dangerous decision done in the utmost poorest of taste.
- I don't think Alessia feels her share of the responsibility for Stephen's death. I didn't think she did after the accident happened and - after seeing this documentary - I still don't think she does. But I think she should.
"The Deepest Breath" is a disjointed documentary about competitive freediving à la Alessia Zecchini that tries to whitewash the fact that Alessia's approach to life was/perhaps still is to put herself and her ambitions first and disregard others. I'm truly sorry if I misjudged and miss-stepped, but I found way too many parts of "The Deepest Breath" a despickable, self-indulgent charade.
4 stars because the documentary does want to head into the right direction, at times with surprising candor. But it falls way short.