Lives Aquatic: Mediterranean Cinema and an Ethics of Underwater Existence

This essay considers the role of the Mediterranean in Emanuele Crialese’s Respiro (2002) and Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004). Taking an ecosystemic approach and incorporating the philosophies of Franco Cassano, Gilles Deleuze, and Félix Guattari, it suggests that underwater scenes in both films invite viewers to theorize connections between the sea and contemporary existence.