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National Geographic Documentary “Becoming Cousteau” Hits Theaters

The film pulls from an archive of newly-restored footage The New York Times calls “enthralling.”
By Alexandra Gillespie | Updated On October 22, 2021
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National Geographic Documentary “Becoming Cousteau” Hits Theaters

The film, released in theaters Friday October 22nd, takes viewers into the life of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, the father of modern scuba diving.

Becoming Cousteau poster

"Becoming Cousteau" is a theater-only release

National Geographic

Among Cousteau's many marine accomplishments — from his famed underwater documentary The Silent World to worldwide oceanic research aboard the iconic Calypso — the former French Naval Officer invented the first commercially-successful open-circuit, self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) system, the Aqua-Lung, in the early 1940s.

“In order to go deeper, in order to stay longer, I became an inventor by necessity,” Cousteau says in an archival recording in the film’s trailer.

“Adventurer, filmmaker, inventor, author, unlikely celebrity and conservationist: For over four decades, Jacques-Yves Cousteau and his explorations under the ocean became synonymous with a love of science and the natural world,” reads the film’s synopsis. “As he learned to protect the environment, he brought the whole world with him, sounding alarms more than 50 years ago about the warming seas and our planet’s vulnerability… [Becoming Cousteau] takes an inside look at Cousteau and his life, his iconic films and inventions, and the experiences that made him the 20th century’s most unique and renowned environmental voice — and the man who inspired generations to protect the Earth.”

The 133-minute documentary, directed by Academy Award Nominated and Emmy-Winning Filmmaker Liz Garbus and produced by the Academy Award Winning Evan Hayes, pulls from an archive of newly-restored footage The New York Times calls “enthralling.”

Going into its theatrical release, it was rated 100 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes based on 23 reviews, and 72 Metascore on Metacritic, sourced from nine reviews. It is not currently available to stream. Divers can look for a showing near them at AtomTickets.com.