Deep Rising

Deep Rising

Matthieu Ritz – 93 min – United States – 2023

Deep Rising plunges into one of the most misunderstood industrial exploitations of our century: deep-sea mining. In the name of ecological transition, and against a backdrop of geopolitical crisis, unscrupulous companies are engaged in a frantic race to appropriate the rights to extract marine nodules. Formed over several million years and rich in rare metals essential for battery manufacture, these resources lie at the heart of a fragile ecosystem several kilometers from the surface. Directed by Nyon filmmaker Matthieu Rytz, Deep Rising retraces several decades of manipulation for the benefit of greedy companies, punctuated by breathtaking images of deep-sea organisms. From the Atacama desert to Papua New Guinea, via the City and Shenzhen, the film denounces the hypocrisy of industry in the face of the climate crisis, the illusory promises of electrification, and the privatization of this common heritage of humanity. It presents us with an ethical and philosophical dilemma: can we sacrifice the last untouched ecosystem in the name of human survival?

The 6 films in the International Competition