Free-diver Francisco Del Rosario lives on the island of El Hierro in the Canary Islands, which are located off the coast of western Africa. Filmmakers Jack Pirie and Alex Hylands-White (in collaboration with underwater photographers “The Ocean Brothers”) set out to document him in his element: deep under the sea. The depths did not come naturally to Rosario, who admits that, as a child, being underwater scared him. (Additionally, his mother “made me suffer” by swimming off when he swam to her, seeking safety.)
The fear went away. Indeed, it vanished completely as he embraced the sport of free-diving. It’s an extremely dangerous activity in which divers see how deep they can go without any equipment. (He ups the risk by often doing it alone.) Yet Rosario says it gives him a feeling of peace he likens to the experience of the womb. Watch the gorgeous, otherworldly short The Superman below.
—RealClearLife Staff
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