Diving Into the Darkness

The courage and passion displayed in this documentary is quite literally awe-inspiring... I will admit, the re-enactments do not do justice as far as how/what she has experienced and achieved as a diver.. Regardless, realizing the extent of the risks taken, ow the smallest mistakes create such a high probability of not making it out (or even in for that matter) alive and what was accomplished (not to mention the obstacles and unexpected situations that come into play...👀 Just hearing her perspective and the genuine love and passion she has, the awards her and her crews have received for their dedication and accomplishments, is beyond inspirational... Definitely recommend checking it out.. 👌👍

This is an inspiring story of Jill Heinerth's journey to becoming the world's most accomplished and respected cave-diver. It's a highly dangerous yet essential profession that is providing science with a new and revealing understanding of the world's underground aquatic ecosystems. Director Nays Baghai skilfully unfolds Jill's personal journey from her realization, as a young girl, that her path in life was to explore, her near-death experiences and the impact of these on her relationships and approach to fear, and her passion to inspire exploration in young people. Nays shows us Jill's story through interviews, animations, flash-backs, archival footage, re-enactments, and beautiful cinematography. The re-enactments are especially powerful and frightening. The scenes of divers swimming through enormous underwater caverns, deep beneath the Earth's surface, are magically lit and beautiful to watch. Jill's telling of her amazing life is honest, humble and down-to-earth, contrasting vividly with her technical skills and the dangerous environment she loves. I highly recommend this film to anyone interested in stories about human endeavour, personal limits, and exploration.

Full disclosure! I have listened to Jill Heinerth's book "Into the Planet" so I was very familiar with Jill's story, her book being one of my top 5 favorite books of all time! So I was very excited when I heard about Diving Into the Darkness! I was going to watch it and enjoy it because I have an incredible respect and admiration for Jill! However, my expectations were not very high in terms of production but I hoped the director will be able to do justice to Jill's incredible story and accomplishments!

Well, I was blown away by the cinematography and the whole production of this documentary! The visuals are stunning, the way the director Nays Baghai was able to tell the story is really impressive! Knowing the story told, as I watched the documentary, my heart was pounding and I was astonished by how he was able to convey the drama of the situation that was happening in a very difficult place to film! The soundtrack of the film is equally impressive! It truly gives the viewer, along with the visuals, the feeling of being in those caves with Jill! One of my friends who is not a diver and watched the documentary, said he almost had a panic attack watching, it felt so real to him! Also we are ICU nurses so can take a lot to make us panic!

Someone who has never heard of Jill Heinerth and stumbles upon this documentary, will be able at the end of it, to understand just how incredible of a person Jill is! On purpose I am not calling Jill a woman because in our society, somehow when you call someone a woman, you diminish the accomplishment! She is great for being a woman! No, she is a freaking incredible human being who has and is doing things, that don't seem humanly possible, showing incredible guts and strength, while displaying kindness and gentleness that you don't expect to come from someone such "BAD ASS!! So, thank you to everyone involved in this production and specially to the director Nays Beghai for being able to tell Jill's story in such stunning way! It was so worth the wait!

The production team created an incredible piece of history and any first place award is very much deserved! I hope a Golden Globe and an Oscar is coming!

This has changed the way I see the world! And the limits of humanity. It was so beautifully created and it had me in goosebumps the whole time.

The music was absolutely outstanding. I was so shocked to find out it was composed by 3 people!

I'm so glad I watched the Sydney screening I never thought I'd learn so much about these people and witness such beautiful shots of such isolated places on earth.

Jill is such an inspiring woman and I'm so glad that her work has been immortalised on film.

It's so beautiful and now I really want to go to Canada as well.

The film waa so well crafted thanks to the directing.

Most people talk of having the adventure of a lifetime but Jill Heinerth has truly had a lifetime packed with adventure well beyond the experience of most of us. Her story is brought to life with a deft touch by filmmaker Nays Baghai, who overcomes the multiple challenges of filming in such a hostile environment to open a real window on Jill's achievements, without cheapening it through sensationalism or sentimentality. Supported by original photographs and film footage from her many expeditions and accompanied by an excellent sound track, this film ranks with the best in the genre. Don't miss a rare treat!