Netflix users have been watching the powerful new film, The Deepest Breath, in huge numbers and the title is currently sitting in the top ten trending titles on the streaming giant.
The documentary tells the story of two free divers – who were considered icons in the diving community – and how one of them risked everything to save the life of their partner.
Free diving is one of the most dangerous sports one can partake in, as it requires the diver to swim deep beneath the ocean's surface with no oxygen tank or form of safety equipment, only relying on their ability to hold their breath for a significant length of time.
One free diver, Stephen Keenan, was considered a champion free diver and his life and journey are explored in the documentary. Tragically, Stephen passed away while completing a dive alongside his partner Alessia Zecchini. Find out more about their powerful story below…
What is The Deepest Breath about?
The synopsis for The Deepest Breath reveals: "A champion free diver and expert safety diver seemed destined for one another despite the different paths they took to meet 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."
Who was Stephen Keenan?
Stephen Keenan was an expert diver and his girlfriend, Alessia's 'safety diver' who had a lot of experience under his belt before he sadly died in 2017 aged 39. The Dublin-born diver had set multiple records for free diving and was considered accomplished enough to oversee other divers in a 'safety diver' role to ensure nothing goes wrong.
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The documentary outlines his journey to becoming a champion in the sport including how he moved to Egypt – a popular destination for free diving – and set up his own diving school to teach others his expertise.
The Deepest Breath then details the dive that tragically took his life six years ago...
What happened to Alessia Zecchini and Stephen Keenan?
As the film details, Alessia and Stephen planned to perform a free dive in The Blue Hole of Egypt, which is considered one of the most dangerous and high-risk dive locations on the planet.
The documentary explores how they hoped to swim through an underwater tunnel. However, things got frighteningly complicated when Alessia did not locate the safety rope that was there to help guide her back to the surface and, as a result, ended up swimming in the wrong direction.
Upon realizing the terrifying error, Stephen then swam to meet Alessia and guide her back to the surface, risking his life to save hers. Stephen then tragically blacked out and died during the dive.
Where is Alessia Zecchini from The Deepest Breath now?
Alessia continues to free dive professionally and she is the holder of 35 world records. According to her website, she free dives because of the thrill and challenge.
"When people ask me why I love free diving, I have three words in mind: depth, challenge, and excitement. That is the deep meaning of freediving to me, but there is much more beyond that," she writes, adding: "We have busy lives, and we often find ourselves at the edge of a dichotomy: surface-depth; boring-exciting; easy-challenging; boring-exciting. In my life, I choose the words where energy and happiness spread from, which express not only my passion but rather the passion that inhabits each of us."
Discussing the tragic incident which took Stephen's life in the documentary, Alessia recalls how she felt helpless during the dive. "The worst thing is we couldn't do anything, we couldn't save him. He rescued me, but I couldn't rescue him."
What are viewers making of The Deepest Breath?
The Deepest Breath has sparked plenty of reaction among viewers with its powerful and emotional story. "#TheDeepestBreath: a profoundly beautiful, take-your-breath-away documentary about one of the scariest sports in the world. This should be at the top of your Netflix list.," wrote a Twitter user.
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Another said: "I can't recommend #TheDeepestBreath enough. It's an emotional journey into the fringe extreme sport that is freediving and the two people whose lives seemed destined to intertwine. Spectacular visuals and a thoroughly compelling narrative."