to his credits — a documentary series released on Dec. 8 on Disney+, with Aronofsky as executive producer and director.National Geographic
For Aronofsky’s part, the series gave him the chance to immerse himself in the elements, as well as the type of research and advocacy that has long been part of his personal life. The filmmaker currently sits on the boards of The Sierra Club andabout the roots of this project, and the arc of science in his own life.
A: I don’t really think of it as a pivot. Before I ever wanted to become a filmmaker, I trained as a field biologist in Kenya and Alaska. I learned early on that this world is such a strange, unbelievable place. Q: The “Descent Into Darkness” episode that you directed explores the theme of fear, where we watch Smith and an ocean explorer plunge 3,300 feet into the pitch-black deep via a submersible. How would you hold up on that journey?