DEEP RISING

Directed by Matthieu Rytz (ANOTE’S ARK, HIFF 2018), this exquisite fly-on-the-wall environmental doc is also a gripping and up-to-the-minute tale of geopolitical, scientific, and corporate intrigue that exposes the destructive machinations of a little known consortium of nations and corporations looking to cash in on a new gold rush frontier: mining the deep sea floor. Following one mining startup called The Metals Company, as it as it pursues funding, public favor, and permission from the International Seabed Authority to mine wide swaths of the Pacific Ocean floor, DEEP RISING juxtaposes the pursuit of economic gain with environmental protection. Rytz continues his exemplary work in environmental documentaries, by also cogently illuminating the vital relationship between the deep ocean and sustaining life on Earth. Narrated by Jason Momoa, DEEP RISING examines humanity’s destructive pattern of extracting materials for profit and asks why we don’t choose, instead, to develop abundant resources to solve our energy problems.