Kriti Mehrotra
As a Laura McGann-directed documentary we can only describe as equal parts astonishing, bewildering, and heartbreaking, Netflix’s ‘The Deepest Breath’ is unequivocally unlike any other. That’s because it gives us a true insight into the dangerous sport of free diving through the inspiring, poignant, yet tragic tale of athlete Alessia Zecchini and safety instructor Stephen Keenan. Amongst those to thus feature here to help move the narrative along was actually the former’s father, Enzo Zecchini — so now, if you simply wish to learn more about him, we’ve got you covered.
Who is Enzo Zecchini?
It was roughly 4:40 pm on June 30, 1992, when proud Italian native Enzo’s whole world turned upside down as he and his loving wife blissfully welcomed an adorable daughter into their lives. This was admittedly a moment he’ll never forget since he’d yearned for it for years; just like his little girl Alessia soon began longing to become an internationally renowned deep sea free diver. The fact he then supported her ambitions at every step of the way was not just unsurprising but also a massive deal as it gave her future self enough confidence to face doubters head-on.
In fact, Alessia appreciated this backing to such an extent that when she had to pen an essay for school expressing her truest goals/feelings, she made sure to give her father a special mention. “Do you ever think that the people around you — your classmates, your friends, your parents — don’t understand your dreams?,” she’d written, in part. “…I want to become a famous free diver. I’m really embarrassed about this great dream of mine…There are only a few people who understand my dream. My dad is one of those people. He understands my passion for the sea and for free diving.”
However, another thing Enzo understood was that despite the fact his daughter had her ambition and determination spurring her on, life is such that she’d have to pay some price to be successful. This could’ve been a physical distance between the family or missing out on significant events, yet it was ultimately the life of her new, loving, caring boyfriend, Stephen Keenan, during a recreational dive. That’s why he expressed in the documentary, “I would give my life. Mine instead of his… He gave his life for Alessia. A pain like this stays with you. You go on, but this wound is there, and it won’t heal.”
Where is Enzo Zecchini Now?
From what we can tell, Sapienza University graduate Enzo continues to reside in Rome, Italy, to this day, where he seems to be dedicating all his free time to family and is surrounded by loved ones. His professional standing is unfortunately unclear at the moment since he prefers to keep his everyday experiences well away from the limelight, but we do know he still supports his incredibly skillful daughter.
Yes, he consistently worries over her like any parent would — especially when she’s diving — yet considering he has witnessed her tireless perseverance from before she’d even reached adolescence, he has learned to trust her instincts and knows she’d never purposefully put herself in too much danger. In other words, Alessia’s father is currently leading a rather content life in the company of those he cares for.
