“Dark, Difficult, Dank Spaces”: Rob Petit on His Tribeca World Premiere Underland

Based on British author Robert Macfarlane’s non-fiction book of the same name, Underland, the feature debut from Rob Petit, investigates the world hidden beneath our feet. In particular, the film ventures into the depths of a cave system in Mexico once used for ancient Mayan rites; a Canadian dark matter research facility located two kilometers beneath the surface; the exhilarating, if treacherous, storm drain system beneath Las Vegas; and a haphazardly abandoned uranium mine in the American Southwest. Composed of six chapters strung together by hypnotic narration from Sandra Hüller, Underland literally probes the human drive for discovery and, conversely, […] The post “Dark, Difficult, Dank Spaces”: Rob Petit on His Tribeca World Premiere Underland first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Jun 10, 2025 - 11:35

“Dark, Difficult, Dank Spaces”: Rob Petit on His Tribeca World Premiere Underland

A beam of sunlight radiates town into a dark cavern, where a person stands and looks incredibly small amid the massive, dark space.

Based on British author Robert Macfarlane’s non-fiction book of the same name, Underland, the feature debut from Rob Petit, investigates the world hidden beneath our feet. In particular, the film ventures into the depths of a cave system in Mexico once used for ancient Mayan rites; a Canadian dark matter research facility located two kilometers beneath the surface; the exhilarating, if treacherous, storm drain system beneath Las Vegas; and a haphazardly abandoned uranium mine in the American Southwest. Composed of six chapters strung together by hypnotic narration from Sandra Hüller, Underland literally probes the human drive for discovery and, conversely, […] The post “Dark, Difficult, Dank Spaces”: Rob Petit on His Tribeca World Premiere Underland first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.