Much of the earth’s surface has been mapped and measured and studied, although of course there is always more to learn. But there’s a different frontier right under our feet, so to speak: that of the “The Underland” which constitutes everything beneath the earth’s surface that can be explored by humans (A Journey to the Center of the Earth remains, for now, a science fiction novel by Jules Verne and the numerous adaptations of it, from film and television to games and theme parks).
Rob Petit’s Underland, adapted from Robert Macfarlane’s 2019 best-seller Underland: A Deep Time, is a poetic collage following a number of different story threads, all united by the fact that they take place underground. It’s produced by, among others, Darren Aronofsky and Laura Greenwood, and narrated by Sandra Hüller, who reads excerpts from Macfarlane’s book, mainly to provide a poetic introduction to the film’s sections.
Archaeologist Fatima Tec Pool studies the remains of the Mayan culture preserved in caves in the Yucutan. The Maya performed rituals in the caves, which they considered gateways to the underworld. Urban explorer and author Bradley Garrett explores the sewers and tunnels of Las Vegas, discovering all manner of present-day folk art, a.k.a. graffiti in the process while becoming accustomed to the smell which he likens to “a cave in the making.” He has come to consider the work of exploring and photographing abandoned spaces as a sort of archeology archaeology (his former field) and made a new career for himself in writing about urban exploration.
Scientists at the SNOLAB facility, located 2 km below sea level near Sudbury, Ontario, study neutrino and dark matter physics in the world’s deepest underground clan room. Why do they go to the trouble of working in such an inaccessible location? To avoid the radiation that is constantly bombarding the earth, which would interfere with their measurements. There are also clips from notable underground news events such as the rescue, a few years back, of a group of soccer players from a cave system in Thailand.
Underland weaves folk beliefs around its present-day stories, creating a narrative that’s bigger than just the conscious and straightforward human world. After all, haven’t trolls and goblins and such always lived underground, and don’t humans who visit their realms often return altered? The visual style is evocative as well as literal, as it jumps back and forth between fairly straightforward documentary footage of the various people and projects featured and more imaginative collages that introduce a touch of art alongside the travelogue segments. I choose my words deliberately, because the segments achieve the effect of making you feel like you are present in the locations featured, experiencing them firsthand rather than watching it play out on the screen.
Rubin Woodin Dechamps’ imaginative cinematography, which captures clear views of underground spaces and makes even the most mundane locations look interesting, is vital to making Underland work. The film is also edited together expertly by David G. Hill while Hannah Peel’s imaginative and inventive soundtrack offers a nice complement to the visuals | Sarah Boslaugh
The 34th Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival runs Nov. 6-16, 2025 at various locations around St. Louis. Further information is available from the Cinema St. Louis web site.
