Voices from the abyss

Since the 1930s, the La Quebrada Cliff Divers of Acapulco in southwestern Mexico have performed shows for the public, climbing steep and jagged oceanside cliffs and jumping up to 100 feet into the waves. In Voices From the Abyss, the Mexican directors Victor Rejón and Irving Serrano capture the divers in cinematic black and white, bringing to life the moments of fear, rushes of airborne adrenaline, and exciting fanfare that characterise their work, which, even for those who’ve been diving for decades, never seem to fade. Weaving together the stories and reflections of several divers, including children learning how to dive and the group’s most weathered veterans, the film finds a deep spiritual dimension both in the divers’ spectacular work and the dramatic location in which they perform it.