Into The Deep + Q&A

A would-be portrait of a Danish inventor takes a startling turn into sinister territory.

In 2016, Australian filmmaker Emma Sullivan began documenting the life and work of Danish inventor Peter Madsen. Madsen was famous for building a home-made, crowd-funded submarine and had attracted a band of talented students to his workshop in Copenhagen, who were captivated by his energy, charisma and ambitions.

A year into filming, Madsen took Swedish journalist, Kim Wall, on a trip in his submarine, and returned to shore alone, triggering a murder investigation and a global media frenzy. As horrifying details emerge, Sullivan tracks the impact of the crime on Madsen’s supporters as they slowly grasp the true nature of the man they called a friend and mentor.

Curator's Note

Into The Deep shows remarkable restraint in its handling of the ‘submarine murder’ case that captivated the world. The real story here is not the crime, but the heartbreaking fallout for the people who flocked to the charismatic leadership of Madsen, as the documentary cuts back and forward in time to emphasise the enormity of this betrayal.

Into The Deep premiered at the Sundance Film Festival as a work-in-progress in January 2020, in the World Cinema – Documentary section. Further planned festival screenings were paused as the filmmakers digitally disguised participant “Sara” using cutting edge technology, also employed notably in David France’s 2020 documentary Welcome to Chechnya to protect vulnerable subjects.

Footage from the film rushes was used as key evidence in Madsen’s murder trial and conviction and must be seen to be believed.

Stick around after the screening for a conversation with director Emma Sullivan and film critic and writer Karl Quinn.