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91ƵSubterranean91Ƶ: Film documents B.C. researchers91Ƶ dive into Canada91Ƶs deepest cave

The film takes audiences inside Bisaro Anima cave in Fernie
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Lead caver Katie Graham and team beat their depth record in Bisaro Anima cave while filming the documentary Subterranean. Here, Graham stands beside an underground pool of water deep in Bisaro Anima Cave, which took the team two days to reach (courtesy of Subterranean film)

A team of passionate adventurers who have spent more than a decade exploring the Bisaro Anima cave near Fernie are now the subject of new documentary called Subterranean, which is showing at Banff Mountain Film Festival on Nov. 4

The film, released in April, follows multiple groups of explorers who are seeking to break caving records. The group in Fernie, lead by Katie Graham, beat a personal depth record by ascending further into the Bisaro Anima cave network than ever before.

Bisaro Anima is located along Heiko91Ƶs Trail. It is the deepest cave in Canada and the continental U.S.

The team climbed up steep rock faces, crawled through claustrophobia-inducing tight spaces and explored cold damp caverns. Parts of the cave network were underwater. Graham reached her depth record by scuba-diving through these.

91ƵIt91Ƶs cold. It91Ƶs dark. It91Ƶs drippy all the time. Everything91Ƶs covered in mud. It91Ƶs quite extensive, so it changes character as you go. Sometimes you91Ƶre crawling and then sometimes there91Ƶs these massive chambers. You91Ƶre rappelling down 100-metre-long pits. Sometimes the rock is really unstable,91Ƶ said Graham.

Graham had to complete scuba training in order to navigate through the cave waters.

91ƵYou only see what you can shine the light on,91Ƶ she recalled. 91ƵIt91Ƶs absolutely dark. The water91Ƶs really cold and once you go in you91Ƶre just completely on your own. You have to be 100 per cent self-sufficient and confident.91Ƶ

91ƵYou really have to be hyper-focused on the technical aspect of what you91Ƶre doing, and you91Ƶre trying to be aware of your surroundings. There91Ƶs so many risks and you91Ƶre trying to manage them and keep yourself in a really positive and systematic head space, going through checklists and make sure you91Ƶre doing everything right. You really have to keep yourself grounded.91Ƶ

The film was lead by Vancouver film producer Jenny Rustemeyer and director François-Xavier De Ruydts. The film crew accompanied the team into the cave on a number of trips, sometimes for as long as nine days, and they all slept in the cave overnight.

De Ruydts reports that it was a challenging film to make. Filming without much light and no access to power was difficult, he said, and he had to be strategic about his filming to ensure he had enough power in his equipment to last the entire trip. Special equipment was required in certain areas of the cave network. When Graham went underwater, she was filmed by a drone.

It was rewarding nevertheless.

91ƵAround every corner, you91Ƶll find something fascinating because it91Ƶs so different from what you91Ƶve experienced before. Just darkness. You turn off your lights and it91Ƶs black 91Ƶ All the cave formations. There are stalactites and stalagmites,91Ƶ he said.

The cave was only a few degrees above zero, with intense humidity. It was also wet and the crew had to wear their damp clothes to bed in order for them to dry by morning. They slept in covered hammocks to keep themselves warm.

91ƵYou have to go to bed with your wet stuff. Otherwise, in the morning, it91Ƶs still going to be wet. The only way to dry stuff is to wear it. Usually sleeping in it is the easiest,91Ƶ De Ruydts said.

Subterranean has reached screens across the world, and more local audiences through Fernie91Ƶs Vogue Cinema, which showed the film on Oct. 6. The film will premiere on Knowledge Network on Nov. 7 in British Columbia.

De Ruydts said caving represent a niche corner of the market among adventure documentaries.

91ƵPeople usually come to see mountaineering or climbing 91Ƶ It91Ƶs refreshing on the festival circuit because it91Ƶs different,91Ƶ he said.

Graham said the team hopes the documentary will give more exposure to the sport of caving and the science behind it. They91Ƶve been scientifically investigating Bisaro Anima since 2012 and have published a survey of the cave, which they continuously update as they gather more information.

91ƵSeeing the movie come out and seeing it well-received, that91Ƶs actually really nice,91Ƶ she said. 91ƵThe goal was really just to make the science and sport of caving better-understood. Having that positive reception on the movie feels great.91Ƶ

It was only just a week ago that the team made a new discovery 91Ƶ a circular tube-like passage that provides clues about the climate during the Ice Age.

91ƵWe found a passage that is a five meter wide diameter circular tube with lots of scallops in the wall. What that tells us is that there was an incredible volume of water with a glacier on top that was just pushing an incredible amount of water through that mountain,91Ƶ she explained.

91ƵThere91Ƶs already lots of theories, hypotheses about what the general climate was like [during the Ice Age] and you can use the cave as proof for the micro-climate for that very particular area. You can get evidence to help support those bigger theories.91Ƶ

The group has explored approximately seven kilometres of cave network and plunged over 600 meters deep since they started their research, but they still haven91Ƶt found an end yet. Graham said they91Ƶre certain there are more dry passages beyond the body of water that she scuba-dived through, which they haven91Ƶt been able to reach due to oxygen limitations.

They91Ƶve also found bushy-tailed woodrats in the cave in really deep areas, which tells them that there are entrances to the cave they haven91Ƶt found yet.

Graham plans to continue her training in Mexico with specialized equipment, so she can dive even deeper next year.

91ƵAs it gets technically more difficult, it challenges me to up my game and do more training and get better. It made me focus,91Ƶ she said.

91ƵYou kind of feel like you91Ƶre travelling back in time and you91Ƶre trying to figure out what the story is behind it.91Ƶ

READ ALSO: VIDEO: Cavers embark on new expedition to Canada91Ƶs deepest cave in interior B.C.

READ ALSO: B.C. man reflects on caving drama as soccer team still trapped in Thailand

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A silhouette of cave diver Katie Graham swimming away as she explores Canada91Ƶs deepest cave (courtesy of Subterranean film)


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