“I’ve seen a lot of bad things in my life, but the best thing was meeting Willy.”
Friendships between people and animals aren’t new. Ask any pet owner about the bond they share with their pet, and you’ll see just how strong the connection between two creatures from different species can be. For Terry Kennedy, however, his bond with a Pacific manta ray over 19 years led to groundbreaking research and landmark environmental protections.
Kennedy’s story has finally made it to the big screen thanks to Cody Sheehy, the director of The Last Dive: a documentary that tells the story of Kennedy’s friendship with Willy the manta ray and the diving trip Kennedy took years later to try to reunite with his aquatic friend one more time.
Although the film has been out for less than four months — first screening on June 8 at the Tribeca Film Festival — The Last Dive has already made waves. The film received the award for Best Cinematography in a Documentary at Tribeca, and it has multiple international screenings as well.
As The Last Dive makes its way through the festival circuit, it has stopped in Winter Park as a part of the Global Peace Film Festival (GPFF). The festival, which was founded 23 years ago by Nina Streich, aims to “[cultivate] global peace through communication, media, and the arts,” according to its website. The Last Dive was screened on Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m. in the Winter Park Library.
For Sheehy, this story is personal. “I live with my wife and two-year-old son on a sailboat,” his statement on the film’s website reads. “Every night, I drift off to sleep with the sound of the ocean slapping our hull. Over the last 20+ years, I have watched life in the ocean disappear. I wonder if my son will inherit an empty ocean or will it be full of life again soon?”
Sheehy’s stake in the film is echoed by the entire team behind the film. For Ted Haddock, an Executive Producer on The Last Dive, the film is a testament to the idea that “restoration is possible.” Haddock’s production company, Common Pictures, got involved with the film because it aligned with the company’s mission to engage in restorative story telling. “[We’re] stepping into places of distress and brokenness to listen, learn and to move towards healing … [Terry is] developing a relationship with these mantas, and he helps them, and they actually help him heal as well.”
Sheehy, Haddock, and the entire team behind The Last Dive aren’t just trying to raise awareness — they’re also trying to inspire viewers to take direct action. Promotion on the film’s site includes links to several nonprofits dedicated to manta ray research, marine conservation, and therapeutic diving experiences for veterans. At the GPFF screening, a printed out informational sheet highlighting these nonprofits was left on every seat, and festival organizers encouraged viewers to use the QR code on the sheet to learn more about the promoted organizations.
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