A LIFE ILLUMINATED

Synopsis

A Life Illuminated follows pioneering marine biologist Dr. Edith Widder’s lifelong quest to use the language of light to communicate with the most mysterious creatures in the deep sea. Now, she heads off on her greatest journey yet into the deepest depths of our ocean world to understand our biggest questions about bioluminescence and what it can tell us about the future of life on Earth. 

Credits

Festivals

Film Details

Tasha Van Zandt is an award-winning director, cinematographer, and Emmy-nominated producer who has documented stories across all seven continents. From diving to the deepest depths of the ocean to exploring the farthest ends of our polar regions, she is dedicated to sharing stories that illuminate our human connection to the natural world. Her award-winning feature-length documentary AFTER ANTARCTICA follows the journey of the longest crossing of Antarctica in history through the eyes of one of National Geographic’s greatest polar explorers, Will Steger. Her feature-length documentary film A LIFE ILLUMINATED, follows a pioneering marine biologist as she embarks on a never-before-seen journey into the mysterious depths of the ocean in search of light. Her upcoming film THE ARCTIC WOMEN portrays the groundbreaking journey of the first two women to overwinter in the Arctic of Svalbard, as they battle the odds to survive in total darkness. As a frequent collaborator of the renowned artist 3JR, she has directed the award-winning films such as ONE THOUSAND STORIES, GUNS IN AMERICA, THE CHRONICLES OF NEW YORK CITY, and THE CHRONICLES OF MIAMI, which follow JR’s journey throughout his Chronicles projects around the world. Together, JR and Tasha Van Zandt co-directed the award-winning documentary short film TEHACHAPI which explores the power of art within the walls of a Supermax federal prison. Her work as a cinematographer includes films such as WHAT'S NEXT? THE FUTURE WITH BILL GATES (Netflix 2024), TELL THEM YOU LOVE ME (Netflix 2024), ART FOR EVERYBODY (SXSW 2023), TEHACHAPI (Telluride 2023), WHITE HOT (Netflix 2022), and PAPER & GLUE (Tribeca 2021), among many others. In addition to her work behind the camera, Tasha is a passionate advocate for environmental conservation and social justice. Through her films, she seeks to shine a light on the most pressing issues facing our planet and inspire positive change in the world. Her work has received numerous awards and has been supported by The Sundance Institute, Film Independent, SFFILM, Points North Institute, Sloan Foundation, Library of Congress, Explorers Club, American Film Showcase, National Geographic Expeditions, Mountainfilm, and The Eames Institute. Tasha is a 2019 Film Independent Documentary Lab Fellow, a 2019 Sundance Institute Music and Sound Design Lab Fellow, a 2019 SFFILM Sloan Stories Of Science Fellow, a 2020 Film Independent Fast Track Fellow, a 2020 Ken Burns Prize For Film finalist, a 2020 SFFILM FilmHouse Resident, a 2021 Mountainfilm Commitment Grant Recipient, a 2021 Sundance Sandbox Fund Recipient, the 2022 Woods Hole Filmmaker-In-Residence, a 2022 DOC NYC 40 Under 40 honoree, a 2024 Points North Pretty Wild Fellow, the inaugural 2024 Eames Institute Artist-In-Residence and is a 2024 SFFILM Creative Advisor.