Tasha Van Zandt, an accomplished filmmaker and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation grantee for her short film BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA, continues her exploration of science and storytelling in her latest feature documentary, A LIFE ILLUMINATED. The film follows pioneering marine biologist Dr. Edie Widder on a daring expedition into the ocean’s depths to capture bioluminescence—nature’s mysterious light—like it’s never been seen before. Blending cutting-edge cinematography with Widder’s groundbreaking research, A LIFE ILLUMINATED had its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the TIFF Docs program, where it was celebrated for its immersive visuals and inspiring message about curiosity, resilience, and the unseen wonders of our planet. Sloan Science & Film spoke with Van Zandt on about her new film, it’s tremendously accomplished subject Dr. Edie Widder, and the brave process of bringing this fascinating documentary to fruition. Check out a special clip from the film below before reading the interview in its entirety below.
SS&F: How does it feel to have the film out in the world after its premiere at TIFF?
TVZ: It feels amazing. It’s been such a long journey to get here, and sharing it with audiences—especially Edie Widder’s community and our families—feels incredibly special. It’s exciting to finally let the film live in the world.
SS&F: When did this project begin for you?
TVZ: I’ve admired Edie since 2012, when I first saw her footage of the giant squid. That moment—seeing this mythical creature emerge from the darkness—sparked my curiosity about the person behind the lens. About five years ago, I reached out to Edie, and we began talking about what it would mean to tell her story. I was struck by how much of her work extended beyond that one moment. She’s been a pioneer in deep-sea exploration, developing cameras that reveal bioluminescence and opening our eyes to a world that was previously invisible. It’s been an incredible adventure to follow her journey and help share it with others.
SS&F: The cinematic appeal of bioluminescence is obvious. How did it shape the film’s aesthetic?
TVZ: Edie has spent her life proving that the ocean isn’t a dark, empty place—it’s full of light and life. She was one of the first to realize that turning off artificial lights and looking differently could reveal an entirely new world. That philosophy guided our approach to the film. We collaborated closely with Edie to translate her vision into a cinematic experience. We used low-light cameras and filmed in submersibles to capture bioluminescence in ways never seen before. Our team joined Edie on dives using two clear-sphere submersibles—one for science, where she and her research partner Nathan Robinson studied the flashback phenomenon, and one for media, where our director of photography Sebastian Zack and I documented the journey. It was a small, focused team working in extreme conditions to bring this hidden world to light.
Photo of Dr. Edie Widder. Courtesy of the filmmaker.
SS&F: There’s a moment in the film when Edie faces technical issues. Were you concerned?
TVZ: Absolutely. Filming in the deep sea is incredibly challenging. We faced a tropical storm that cut into our dive time, and our first two test dives had major setbacks—one camera cable was damaged by pressure, and on the second dive, we couldn’t capture the flashback phenomenon. For the third dive, we had to rig Edie’s submersible with cameras and microphones that could record for nine hours without any monitoring or battery changes. Communication between submersibles was limited to brief, unreliable through-water comms, and we were essentially two small orbs trying to find each other in total darkness. Personally, diving to 3,300 feet was both awe-inspiring and intimidating. I had moments of claustrophobia, especially when we landed on the ocean floor and I realized how much water was above us. But Edie’s mantra—’curiosity overcomes fear’—helped me reframe those moments and stay focused on the wonder of the experience.
SS&F: Did you feel your presence on the expedition helped amplify Edie’s work?
TVZ: Definitely. Edie’s mission has always been to make the unseen visible and shift how we perceive our ocean planet. Our goal was to follow in her footsteps and help share these discoveries with the world. The flashback phenomenon, which she’s pursued for years, is now documented and can be studied and shared. The ocean is vast and largely unexplored—Edie says 99.5% of the living space on our planet is in the ocean, yet we’ve only explored 0.005%. Bioluminescence may be the most common form of communication on Earth, but it’s a language of light we’re only beginning to understand. We hope the film inspires people to look differently, to be curious, and to advocate for ocean preservation.
SS&F: Were there moments you had to leave out of the final cut?
TVZ: So many. Edie has lived countless lives and made groundbreaking discoveries. She’s likely done more dives into the twilight zone than anyone else. We had to focus the story on her journey to this particular dive, but there are so many other stories we couldn’t include. In the edit, we worked with our amazing team to identify the key turning points that led her to this moment. If we could, we’d make a hundred films about Edie. We’ve only scratched the surface of what she’s seen and accomplished.
Still from A LIFE ILLUMINATED. Courtesy of Sandbox Films.
SS&F: I loved the Marcel Proust quote that opens the film, ‘The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes’. It really speaks to the intersection of science and art.
TVZ: Thank you. Edie shared that quote early in the process, and it became a guiding light for us. The idea of ‘seeing with new eyes’ is central to her work and to the film. It’s about expanding our perspective—through empathy, curiosity, and wonder—and realizing how much more there is to discover. That mindset gives us hope, not just for understanding the ocean, but for how we approach the world more broadly.
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