Deep Rising

Deep Rising delves into one of our century’s least-known industrial operations: deep-sea mining. In the name of the ecological transition, and against a backdrop of geopolitical crisis, unscrupulous companies are embarking on a frenzied race to secure the rights to extract marine nodules. Formed over many millions of years, rich in the rare metals that are vital for battery production, these resources lie at the heart of a fragile ecosystem several kilometres below the surface. Directed by the Nyon-born filmmaker Matthieu Rytz, Deep Rising covers several decades of manipulation for the benefit of rapacious companies, punctuated by breathtaking images of seabed organisms. From the Atacama Desert to Papua New Guinea, via the City and Shenzhen, the film denounces the hypocrisy of the industrial sphere in the face of the climate crisis, the false promises of electrification, and the privatisation of this common heritage of mankind. It presents us with an ethical and philosophical dilemma: Can we sacrifice the last ecosystem untouched by humans in the name of our survival?

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