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By Rik Rösken
The movie, The Freediver which premiered last year at the AIDA world championschips
for teams in Vancouver did spark some controversy on its depicting of freediving. Critique
from freedivers ranged from the not always so right physical and medical qualities of
the story to the use of AIDA as an organisation within the film. The latter would be intresting
to explore but won't be addressed in this review.
The inspiration of the movie is a historical dive performed by Danai Varveri in 1999 where she performed a 35 meter dive in the
(later established) discipline of
constant weight without fins.
The Freediver builts further on this story and presents Danai Varveri (Camilla
Rutherford) as a woman who has the abilities to become the best freediver in the world.
She is discovered by Hector (Alki David) who introduces her to the renown physican Dr. Viades
(Adam Baldwin).
A physiological struggles ensues. Dr. Viades decides to risk anything, including the
health of Danai to beat the men's world record and Hector, fallen in love, tries to save
Danai from what seems a certain death. Danai however, has her own ghost to chase.
The initial storyline of the freediver is perhaps the most refreshing approach to a
sport that always tries to balance itself on the absolute aquatic potential of men.
Both the three main characters as other characters as Maggie Stone (Dominique Swain),
Ziad (Judd Nelson) and Sebastian Nagel (James Fox), seems to represent different
approaches of freediving as a record sport.
While many documentaries and movies on breath-hold diving, including those on competitive
freediving, present the sport in some romantic way, The freediver presents another
reality where personal ego's plays the major deciding role. While the use of these theme
does bring an interesting perspective, it does make the characters less attractive and more
difficult to associate with them. Each of the actors tries to cope with this on his or
her way. The character of Maggie Stone becomes quite annoying due her aggressive,
yelling behaviour, while Dr. Viades is played perfectly by Adam Baldwin as the physician
gone mad. Specific attention should be granted to Alki David. While the more engaged reader
might correctly discuss the wisdom of having the script writer and director playing a leading
role, it should be said that he played his role quite well.
From a technical point The Freediver does cope with too many minor continuity
faults to be granted the A-label as a movie. Questions on why Hector would introduce Danai
to Dr. Viades if he knew his egocentric approach and Danai relative ease how she is
attracted by Dr. Viades invitation. Also too much effort is needed to puzzle Danai's
past from the memories shown.
However, in the end The Freediver is best appreciated when it is watched for its theme
and not it's actuality and scientifically correctness. It might be interesting to see
a discussion after the film, not about it's failures or it's politics. And that should
result in some appreciation of Alki David's performance.
The Freediver is published by Full On Entertaiment and can be bought at
http://www.thefreediver.org
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