Deeper (Documentary)

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Director: Jennifer Peedom
Producer: Blayke Hoffman,Paul Ryan,Jennifer Peedom
Screenwriter: Jennifer Peedom
Cinematographer: Ben Dowie
Editor: Simon Njoo
Featured Subjects: Richard Harris,Craig Challen

A lauded Australian documentarian and one of the heroes of the Thai cave rescue come together for a gripping adventure into deep water.

Richard “Harry” Harris knows a thing or two about diving. Named an Australian of the Year for his pivotal role in the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue – which saved the lives of 12 Thai children and their coach – he has already been the subject of nonfiction films and was even portrayed by Joel Edgerton in Ron Howard’s Netflix dramatisation of the remarkable mission. Now, he is returning to the waters – this time, in New Zealand’s Pearse Resurgence, in pursuit of perhaps the deepest-dived cave system in the world. Accompanied by his crew and filmmaker Jennifer Peedom, Harris descends to chart a new path forward.

Peedom has crafted some of the country’s most eye-opening and successful works of documentary, including Sherpa (MIFF 2015), Mountain (MIFF 2017) and River (MIFF 2021). Working here with the sublime cinematography of Benjamin Dowie (Embrace Kids, MIFF 2022) and an enthralling score by award-winning composer Anthony Partos (Animal Kingdom; The Rover), she captures the dangers lurking in the waters as well as the camaraderie and nervous excitement that come with thrill-seeking. But Deeper goes beyond the superficial pleasure of risk – it’s also a sensitive examination of the profound yearning that compels a person to plunge into such a daring feat.

“Invigorating … a different kind of courage is involved with undertaking such an experience willingly … Deeper captures that feeling, that emotion, that drive, perfectly.” – Screen Anarchy