Guillaume Néry is a world champion freediver. He grew up in Nice, France, and started freediving at the age of 14. By the time he was 19, he set a French constant weight national record by reaching 270 feet—which, by the way, matched the world record at the time.
Then, in 2004, he set a world record in Reunion Island by diving to 315 feet. Unbelievably, a year later he reached 328 feet during a training session. He’s been breaking records for nearly his entire career. While all of that is impressive, the world that has become Néry’s second home is not something most people can really wrap their heads around. That’s because the world that lies beneath the surface of the ocean is not a place we’re meant to be. The film you see above is a testament to that.
Filmed by Julie Gautier while freediving as well (and also happens to be married to Néry) and scored beautifully, it shows Néry gliding beneath ice sheets, walking on the ocean floor with spearfisherman, and swimming with whales. It was shot all over the world; France, Finland, Mexico, Japan, and the Philippines all starred as a backdrop for one of the most incredible freediving films we’ve ever seen.