Hot Docs 2025 - How Deep Is Your Love Review

 

Eleanor Mortimer’s appropriately titled, How Deep Is Your Love, is a very patient meditation upon the meaning of existence as a whole; existentialism comes heavily with the territory as Mortimer has her camera paying persistent attention to the various ecosystems that are explored as their vessel dives deeper and deeper into uncharted territory. Initially, we see gorgeous cascades of stones and life that is invisible to the naked eye. Eventually, we come across these gorgeous creatures that are unlike anything living above the ocean’s surface. All of these discoveries eventually bleed into the core of the film’s protest/meaning— the incredibly compromising threat of underwater mining that constantly looms over all of the ecosystems, rich and full of life, which live at these depths. Mortimer’s eye investigates the bowels of one of these bureaucratic buildings, where meetings on the matter are being held and discussed in a cold, observational manner. 

The formerly mentioned images ultimately end up serving as a harsh juxtaposition to the emotional and exciting atmosphere that is prevalent and intoxicating during the expeditions; the consideration and emotion the researchers display at the sight of a candy bar wrapper deep below the ocean’s surface is astounding, especially when compared to the hearings that talk about much graver subject matter in a cold, objective manner—- it’s a harsh reminder of the world we’re currently living in.

By no fault on behalf of the film, the segments concerning the teams’ psychology/personal relationships tend to fade into the background while the spotlight of interest remains fixated on the constantly descending camera that we, the audience, get to see the underwater world from the perspective of. Some of the life they discover is truly remarkable. However, this means that whenever the film dedicates itself to spending time with the researchers and analyzing their individual perspectives and relationships within the midst of their discovery missions—- the film slows down heavily.

Throughout the third act, images of species discovered and identified throughout the film are swimming throughout the foreground of government buildings and city streets. The introduction of this image feels deserved and rewarding; it cements a notion of preserving life (especially environmental/sealife) at all costs. These moments, combined with the researchers and the situations that are explored at the hearings near the end of the film, make for thoughtful breathing room from the cascade of colours and wonder that we’ve spent the first half of the film getting so comfortable with under the sea. The ending shots are powerful; I hope you get the opportunity to see them on the big screen.

Hot Docs 2025 runs until May 4th. Tickets can be purchased at hotdocs.ca. This film screens again at the following times:

- Tuesday, April 29th, 8:15pm @ TIFF Lightbox

- Sunday, May 4th, 4:30pm @ TIFF Lightbox