The Saudi documentary film 'Depth' is set to meet its audience on cinema screens the day after tomorrow, Thursday, carrying with it a story that transcends the boundaries of the sea to shed light on one of the rarest and most complex professions in the world, classified among high-risk, high-reward occupations, practiced by a limited number of people globally, including Saudi Ahmed Al-Jaber.

Film director Abdulrahman Sandakji reveals in an interview with Al-Eqtisadiah the behind-the-scenes of making this film, the production and logistical challenges that accompanied the work to document Al-Jaber while performing his tasks that require high skill, and how he balanced artistic ambition with execution requirements, along with his vision for the future of Saudi documentary films in light of the rapid growth the cinema sector is witnessing. Here is the text of the interview:

When did you first meet diver Ahmed Al-Jaber, and how did the story transform from just an idea into a full documentary project?

I met Al-Jaber about five years ago, at a time when he was not as famous as he is today. From our first meeting, I felt that his story had the makings of a different kind of documentary. What struck me most was the world he works in; a world full of challenges and risks, from pressure chambers and capsules to working in the depths of the sea.

This type of story aligns with my interests as a director, as most of my work focuses on harsh environments and high-risk professions. I previously made the film 'The Cave,' which documents the journey of microbiologists collecting samples from caves and rugged sites, and also made 'Ice,' which deals with the experience of the first two Saudi Arabs to dive in the Arctic. So I felt that Ahmed's story was a natural extension of my passion for this type of film.

We kept the idea for several years until we received support from the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) and the Saudi Cultural Fund under the Ithra Arabic Content Initiative, after which the film's production journey began. The project took years of work, from development and preparation, through filming that was completed about a year ago, then moving to editing, marketing, and distribution stages. For me, this film represents the culmination of my passion; because it combines a touching human story, an exceptional world, and a real challenge—elements I always strive to present in my work.

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How did you execute the diving scenes in the film, and what measures did you take to ensure the realism of the experience and the safety of the team?

From the beginning, we were keen to make the film as realistic as possible, so we ruled out the idea of shooting in a studio using chroma key technology, even though it was a safer and easier option from a production standpoint. My goal was for the viewer to feel they were living a real experience, so we shot the diving scenes in their actual environment.

Filming took place between Saudi Arabia and Egypt; some scenes were shot in Al-Ahsa and Riyadh, while all sea, ship, and pressure chamber scenes were executed in Egypt using real locations and equipment.

Diver Al-Jaber

Also, Al-Jaber insisted on performing the diving scenes himself, despite the possibility of using a stunt double, which added greater credibility to the film. Naturally, the filming was accompanied by strict safety procedures, including a professional saturation diver alongside him, in addition to a specialized underwater cameraman, and an accredited team specialized in saturation diving to supervise all operations and ensure their execution at the highest safety standards.

What were the most prominent challenges you faced during the film's production, and how did you handle them?

This film was one of the projects where I faced challenges at various levels. The first was the production challenge; although the budget was good, compared to the nature of a documentary film of this size, it was limited, requiring careful resource management to ensure the vision was executed as required.

The other challenge was achieving the highest degree of realism. We were determined to shoot in real locations using actual pressure chambers, diving units, ships, and equipment, which was not easy because these ships operate continuously, and stopping them for filming incurs high operational costs.

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The underwater diving scenes also posed a major challenge, both in terms of the safety of the film's protagonist Ahmed Al-Jaber and ensuring the quality of the shots. I could not directly monitor the filming while the team was underwater, so I would wait until each dive session ended to review the footage and give feedback before proceeding with further filming.

Despite all these challenges, we managed to overcome them thanks to our belief in the story, teamwork, and the support we received from several partners and specialists, whether by providing film equipment or contributing their expertise, which had a significant impact on completing the film in the way we aspired to.

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How do you balance artistic ambition with production constraints and the need for special equipment and techniques?

The documentary film allows more room to innovate production solutions without affecting the quality of the work, and that is what we relied on throughout the execution stages. We were always looking for smart alternatives in presenting scenes that achieve the desired visual impact.

At the same time, we approached this project with a narrative film mindset. We prepared a shot list, a detailed script, conducted location scouts, and determined angles and shots in advance. We aimed to deliver an integrated cinematic experience that makes the viewer live the story in all its details, not just follow documented events.

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Through your journey in producing the film, what was the most shocking piece of information about the job?

What amazed me most was the nature of life that divers live inside pressure chambers; they spend between 3 and 4 weeks in complete isolation, unable to leave, because their bodies adapt to high pressure and a different gas mixture from the external environment. Therefore, any sudden opening of the pressure chamber door could lead to catastrophic consequences in moments due to the large pressure difference, and this field has indeed witnessed tragic accidents of this kind.

Pressure Chamber

Also, what astonished me was the magnitude of precautions imposed by working inside pressure chambers, as any minor scratch or cut can turn into a serious injury due to the impossibility of immediate exit to receive treatment, which in some cases may lead to amputation of the affected limb. Therefore, divers handle every movement inside the chamber with extreme caution, especially since its tight spaces contain many sharp metal surfaces and corners.

Are Saudi documentary films experiencing a new phase of growth and interest?

I believe that documentary films in Saudi Arabia are currently experiencing an important stage of development, driven by increasing interest from cultural and cinematic entities, along with an abundance of local stories that deserve to be told.

I see that the experience of the film 'Depth' represents one of the fruits of this movement; it will be shown in Saudi cinemas starting July 9, making it the first Saudi short film to be commercially released in theaters, and one of the first documentary films to achieve this presence. This shows that this type of work is gaining greater opportunities to reach the audience, provided it is presented in a cinematic language capable of combining realism and narrative appeal.