Descending into Darkness: The Making of 'Underland'
Just off the B3134 in Somerset lies a portal to the underworld: the Tradesman's Entrance to Goatchurch Cavern. Through this narrow opening, I squeeze, tumbling over damp rocks and lacerating my jumpsuit as I venture deeper. This journey is part of an exploration with film-maker Robert Petit, who has spent five years creating the poetic documentary 'Underland,' inspired by nature writer Robert Macfarlane's bestselling 2019 subterranean travelogue.
A Subterranean Adventure
We descend 100 feet underground to the Boulder Chamber, where Petit shares insights into his obsession. "Some fear is good," he says, but warns against hyperventilation, which depletes oxygen. Despite worries about injuries or joining fossil records like Pleistocene mammoths, the allure of the underground persists. For Petit and others, this upside-down world offers existential freedom, away from surface constraints.
Urban explorer Bradley Garrett, featured in the film, savors the faecal tang and abandoned car wrecks in Las Vegas's storm drains, associating the smell with freedom. Petit echoes this sentiment, noting that time "thickens and slows" underground, though he ensures safety by alerting Mendip Cave Rescue.
Artistic Vision and Collaboration
Petit's film avoids traditional elements like talking heads or daylight, instead following three protagonists: Garrett in Las Vegas, Fátima Tec Pool in Yucatán caves seeking Maya ancestors, and physicist Mariangela Lisanti researching dark matter in Canada. This approach, reminiscent of Lars von Trier's Dogme manifesto, impressed Macfarlane, who praises Petit's creative risks.
Macfarlane describes their collaboration as "quantum collaboration," where trust leads to alchemical transformation. He contributed to the script, narrated by Oscar-nominated Sandra Hüller, with an eerie score by Hannah Peel. Petit cites influences like Werner Herzog and Joseph Conrad, but his camera acts as the true protagonist.
Personal Connections and Deep Time
The film resonates with themes of loss and trace fossils, as Petit mourned family deaths while reading Macfarlane's book. In a poignant scene, Tec Pool presses her hand against ancient cave handprints, connecting across millennia. Macfarlane notes that underworld stories, from the Epic of Gilgamesh to modern explorations, help us grapple with mortality and metaphysics.
Return to the Surface
After emerging muddied and chastened, we visit the Old Mother Ash tree, a symbol in both book and film. Recently collapsed, it shows buds of new life, highlighting the thin line between death and renewal. Petit jumps into a nearby hole, exploring from below, his enthusiasm undimmed. 'Underland' premieres in UK and Irish cinemas on 27 March, inviting audiences to ponder the worlds beneath our feet.
