The Titan submarine disaster, an exploration of the Titanic wreck gone wrong that dominated headlines in the summer of 2023, has inspired a new documentary by Aaron Arngrimson, who was the last person to see the crew alive. Arngrimsson closed the submersible hatch before waving to the crew one last time. He will produce and direct the film, which will be produced by Dirty Dozen Productions and RadicalMedia.
After Titan lost contact after an hour and 33 minutes of diving, a desperate rescue operation was launched. After five days of searching, it was confirmed that the Titan had imploded, killing all five people on board. Arngrimsson’s film will use live footage from the moment Titan began its final voyage, while looking at “the emotional experience of five Titan crew members”, as well as “revealing the family stories behind the media headlines”. The filmmakers say the film will examine the dangers behind this type of expedition, as well as why so many people are drawn to deep-sea adventures.
“We are committed to telling this important story with the accuracy it deserves, through exclusive interviews with Titan crew members and in the aftermath with the families,” Arngrimson said. “Our goal is to reflect on the lives affected by this tragedy while providing critical insights into walking the fine line between success and failure.”
“The unprecedented access Aaron had to the Titan crew, their families, and this story was amazing. He was there, first-hand, experiencing all of this in real time. It was very important for us to tell this story authentically, given the tremendous media interest it received.” “We think it’s crucial that the world understands the true story of Titan and the importance of modern-day ocean exploration,” says Stacey Reese, executive producer at RadicalMedia.
The documentary is currently in post-production and will premiere in 2025. In addition to Reiss and Arngrimsson, other producers include Antti Apunen and Geoff Creighton. Arngrimson founded Dirty Dozen Productions, which she says focuses on producing “deep-ocean documentaries.” Radical Media is the Academy Award-winning producer of “Summer of Soul” and “The Fog of War.”
