SYNOPSIS

At the very forefront of marine research, ’The Diver’ is a revolutionary journey to discover how marine animals achieve the impossible, and a pioneering revelation about our place amongst them.

Powerful and ambitious, made over a 4 year period with the worlds leading Scientists, this sensational ocean film captures breathtakingly beautiful underwater footage from the remote Mexican Archipelagos to the teeming marine playgrounds of Polynesia, Hawaii and Spain. Entwining the lives of human and marine divers, it features extraordinary new discoveries and ground-breaking research, brings a pioneering breakthrough in our understanding of diving, and reveals cutting-edge science that is key to saving both human and marine animals lives.

Investigating whether a turtle is making a decompression stop, we discover that air-breathing, breath-holding marine animals dive to thousands of feet, holding their breath for hours at a time. Their bodies undergo such extreme physical and physiological challenges, that it shouldn't be possible to dive so long and deep at all. What is the secret of these champion divers? Are they at risk of decompression sickness? How do they adapt to hold their breath for so long? How do they handle pressure that should crush their bodies? How do they communicate, and hunt, when there's no oxygen supply?

Award-winning filmmakers and renowned conservationists Guy and Anita Chaumette embark on a legendary aquatic mission around the planet to unravel some of the greatest outstanding mysteries in marine science today.

Throughout the film, we connect with the oceans most iconic animals and make a revolutionary discovery about our place amongst them. Cutting-edge science reveals how they perform such ‘inconceivable’ dives. For the first time on film, we discover the extraordinary adaptations they can make. Revolutionary research proves that, like humans, marine animals plan and control their dives and, under normal circumstances, can adapt their decompression protocol and actively manage their ascents. Extraordinary evidence reveals a clear connection between increasing man-made disturbances, marine strandings, diving injuries and deaths, and overwhelmingly concludes that when we change the marine environment, many animals don't make it back up.

Packed with dynamic content, this thought-provoking film captures the urgency of how marine animals futures depend on us all, while positively portraying there are more opportunities for solutions than ever before. It shares inspiring stories of how researchers, scientists, fishermen, corporations and communities are collaborating in innovative ways to create positive change.

From scientists to fishermen, physiology to intelligence, marine protected areas to global collaborations, ‘The Diver’ is a magical, transformational adventure that immerses audiences into the fascinating world of the oceans most awe-inspiring animals, brings an unparalleled understanding of their behaviour, uncovers their remarkable abilities and offers a movingly intimate portrait of the connections between us and them.

Mixing ground-breaking science with exhilarating exploration, this is a mesmerising cinematic revelation about the animals we ‘think’ we know so well, and an unparalleled story of hope, guaranteed to inspire, enchant and entertain.