Unveiled this Saturday, June 8 at 8.45pm on Ushuaïa TV, the documentary "En immersion avec Akhenaton" (Immersed with Akhenaton) features the IAM frontman's introduction to freediving by freediver Morgan Bourc'his. We Rock Sport caught up with the three-time world champion to find out more about this long-standing project.
How did the idea of making a documentary about apnea with an artist like Akhenaton come about?
It's a project we've had in mind for several years with my press agents Irène and Cécile, who also have a production company, Two Sisters Production. We had already created a pilot in La Réunion in 2020 with another personality. The idea was to introduce her to my activity, freediving. But we didn't want to focus solely on the sporting aspect and on surpassing oneself. We also wanted to introduce the personality to the maritime environment, to help her better understand the ecological issues involved, and the importance of protecting this environment. When you're a freediver, the performance aspect is obviously essential, but we also talk about the ocean and current environmental issues. I'm also involved with associations and scientists, relaying studies and taking part in boards of directors, for example with Septentrion Environnement, a research and training institute in Marseille on coastal issues. I'm interested, I get involved, I relay the message, I help with governance, and I can also lend a hand with associations like waste collection.
Why did you choose Akhenaton?
We wanted to produce this first issue in Marseille, which is important to me because I live here. It's a central city in the Mediterranean, and its origins are closely linked to the sea. And Akhenaton is an emblematic figure of the city of Marseille, so it was a perfect fit. For the record, I'm originally from central France, and as a teenager I came to Marseilles to discover scuba diving with the UCPA centers in the 1990s. Back then, I listened to IAM and Akhenaton was one of my idols. So sharing my activity with him today is a bit like closing a loop. Akhenaton is also sensitive to the social problems facing a city like Marseille. That's important to me too. Before I became a freediver, I was a PE teacher specializing in children and teenagers with behavioral and psychiatric problems. So these are subjects that speak to me. The common good, living together... That's where Akhenaton and I come together.
Is there anything in common between freediving and singing?
Breath is central to both our universes. In fact, we talked about it with Akhenaton. He uses it continuously. It comes out, goes in and feeds his flow of lyrics. Whereas I'm going to keep it as long as possible. We use it differently, but it's important for both of us. During the shoot, I was able to introduce him to my specific use of a "closed" breath. The psychological aspect of my discipline is primordial, and concentration is a key element of performance.
Will there be more issues following this documentary?
We did it with another personality for the pilot issue, but that's all I'm saying. The aim is to bring out other issues based on the same principle.
This documentary is sure to inspire people to take up freediving. How do you get started in this discipline?
You can start anywhere, not just by the sea. There are many freediving clubs, most of them associative. It's not a complicated activity, but it must be done in compliance with safety rules. You need to be accompanied by an instructor who will explain how to relax, how to breathe and how to immerse yourself, how to swim in apnea and how to understand the maritime environment that you will discover thanks to apnea. One of the main rules of our discipline is not to practice alone, precisely for safety reasons.
And why does France perform so well in this discipline?
We are a nation with an ancient link to the sea. The Mediterranean has been the cradle of underwater activities. Scuba diving, for example, was born in the Marseilles region after the war. There's a culture of the sea as a leisure tool, whether on the water in a boat or underwater in underwater hunting or exploration. This culture is very present in France, and has contributed to the fact that ever since modern apnea began in the 1990s, we've always had a large pool of athletes in this discipline.
"En immersion avec Akhenaton" will be broadcast this Saturday, June 8, 2024 at 8:45pm on Ushuaïa TV.
