Dave Not Coming Back

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1:51

Dave Not Coming Back

2020

1h 40m

Documentary

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100%

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7 Reviews

79%

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

Two high level scuba-divers and long-time friends, Don and Dave, broke a world record for depth in the Boesmansgat cave in South Africa. It would take them 15 minutes to reach the bottom, but 12 hours to surface. Having reached the bottom, against all odds, they find a body. They decide to come back and retrieve it. They call the parents, enrol 8 fellow divers, and hire a cameraman to document the dive. The camera will follow them throughout the preparation and the dive, including to the bottom of the cave. Little did they know that on that historic dive, Dave would not be coming back. In this time of over-performance driven by self-promotion and self-filming comes Boesmansgat, a story of loss and mourning where egoism and altruism, hubris and self-control, risk-taking and spirituality all go hand in hand. A cascade of choices and tense paradoxes that lead to a tragedy long foreseen, yet impossible to prevent.

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Steve Davis

Austin Chronicle

The film's core elements are firmly entrenched in the documentary genre. Regardless, few can deny the mourning and mortality on display here aren't the real thing.

Nov 10, 2020

Full Review

Carey-Ann Pawsey

Orca Sound

Another example of a documentary being filled with emotion. But this time in a rather unexpected place.

Rated: 3.5/5

Dec 21, 2020

Full Review

Kat Hughes

THN

The real-life stakes serve to send the blood pressure sky-high and, despite knowing how the tale ends, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 1, 2020

Full Review

Carla Hay

Culture Mix

[Director Jonah] Malak keeps the pace and the tone of the movie consistently on the passion for deep-water diving, but Dave Not Coming Back is also a cautionary tale of how someone's life can be cruelly taken away during this high-risk activity.

Nov 24, 2020

Full Review

Ron Wilkinson

It's Just Movies

Comparable to the best adventure films ever made, writer/director Jonah Malak has captured a heart rending story of mankind's desire to go where they have no business going.

Rated: 8/10

Nov 23, 2020

Full Review

Jennie Kermode

Eye for Film

Though it never quite grasps the additional dimension it's aiming for, there are moments when the film captures something of the existential wonder that deep diving can inspire.

Rated: 3/5

Nov 19, 2020

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john s

TENACIOUS D Spoiler alert: don't read the title. The life of scuba divers in search of depth seems more like a death wish. So why the hell tempt fate for what appears to be very little reward? That question is never really answered, yet we are introduced to several characters who unflinchingly espouse their devotion and unwavering dedication to the activity. Boesmansgat is a deepwater submerged fresh water cave that punctures the South African Kalahari Desert. It is the monster's mouth that invites intrepid divers to test their mettle. It is where records are set. It is where people die. In 1994 twenty year old Deon Dryer perished there. A decade later Dave Shaw discovered the body at 270m. Shortly after, he enlisted friend and fellow diver Don Shirley for a recovery mission. This is the story of Deon, Dave and Don. You can't write this stuff. As documentaries go, revealing a large part of the mystery from the get go is unusual practice, but here it works. Splicing original footage of the recovery dive, with re-enactments, director John Malak avoids the creepy sensationalism television favours, unfolding the story in a tense, beautiful and technical manner befitting the subject matter. The intricate preparation, endless logistical details and a spider web of planning is extraordinary, but when things go wrong, it is the in situ reaction of the team that ramps up the drama. Diving down is easy, coming back up is not. Same with this movie. - hipCRANK

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

greg r

Meh. It's watchable.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Lisa F

Watched this film just because it came on after something else and didn't want to go to bed! One of the most emotional watches ever. Beautifully filmed. Excellent information. Very respectfully played out. So very sad and somewhat unnecessary. Loved all the detail about diving, the equipment, the safety issues, concerns and expertise. RIP Dave and Deon

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/30/22

Full Review

Audience Member

This is absolutely amazing. I'm completely enthralled with anything regarding caves or underwater, especially how deep a bit of water can be. This is both. and not only a blip in the desert of South Africa, it's a 900ft deep cave. But this is documentary and not made up at all. Only some footage re-created to show realism of the Dangers of Deep Water Diving. The Team created to recover a corpse found has proven deadly. This is a must see if you like anything you just read.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

wendy c

Haunting. It did not leave me with a good feeling. Utterly Haunting. It's a story that follows you around for days after watching it like a dark cloud looming over you. While it's an incredible story full of people sacrificing for their fellow man, it still leaves you heavy hearted.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Jonah Malak

Director

Jonah Malak

Writer

Jonah Malak

Producer

Audrey-Ann Dupuis-Pierre

Producer

Marwan Haroun

Executive Producer

Bob Moore

Executive Producer

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Dave Not Coming Back: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Two high level scuba-divers and long-time friends, Don and Dave, broke a world record for depth in the Boesmansgat cave in South Africa. It would take them 15 minutes to reach the bottom, but 12 hours to surface. Having reached the bottom, against all odds, they find a body. They decide to come back and retrieve it. They call the parents, enrol 8 fellow divers, and hire a cameraman to document the dive. The camera will follow them throughout the preparation and the dive, including to the bottom of the cave. Little did they know that on that historic dive, Dave would not be coming back. In this time of over-performance driven by self-promotion and self-filming comes Boesmansgat, a story of loss and mourning where egoism and altruism, hubris and self-control, risk-taking and spirituality all go hand in hand. A cascade of choices and tense paradoxes that lead to a tragedy long foreseen, yet impossible to prevent.

Director: Jonah Malak
Producer: Jonah Malak, Audrey-Ann Dupuis-Pierre
Screenwriter: Jonah Malak
Production Co: Némésis Films
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 10, 2020
Runtime: 1h 40m

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