Recent years have seen an increase in the documentary coverage of extreme challenges, and individuals taking on astonishing feats, think of the likes of Free Solo, 14 Peaks, or Savage Waters taking us to places you wouldn’t necessarily find in the everyday. Beyond The Raging Sea sets us up in a similar fashion as it follows two adventurers; Egyptian duo Omar Nour and Omar Samra, often referred to here as The Omars.

This pair met by chance and agreed to take on an unsupported 3,000 nautical mile row from the Canary Islands to Antigua, under the banner of the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge, which takes place every two years or so and so not unusual, but remains a mammoth one for any sailor or sea-farer to take on. When you throw in the truth that the Omars didn’t really have that type of experience, being more than qualified as adventurers- whether through Nour’s life as an ex-professional triathlete or Samra’s extensive mountaineering talents – rowing across the Atlantic is clearly a whole different kettle of fish. While they never fail to knowledge that reality, they believed they had the necessary skillset to pick up the oars, and certainly had the sponsors, to take this task on.  

Much of Beyond The Raging Sea is talking heads, where director Marco Orsini lets the Omars tell us their story, alongside early soundbites from their families and colleagues involved in the event from the safety of dry ground. While there are occasional snippets of video footage, especially early on, we’re hearing the tale of their extreme life on the sea and it hung in the balance, because once they hit Day 9, and were 600 miles into the challenge, the pair hit an intense storm… and were capsized, something that rarely occurred with this type of craft.

I did enjoy their story, they’re both good storytellers from unique angles, but the documentary did begin to feel a little repetitive, due to the nature of the ‘retelling’ setup, just before the big moment. However, what ensues is dramatic and each of the Omar’s has their individual insight to their memories, and I’d think probably some psychological impact that still remains, especially from Samra who was sick a lot early on, whereas Nour holds the more free flowing energy of the group – and tells his tale with vigorous enthusiasm.

You can watch for the full story of when they capsized, and the literal hanging on to survive during treacherous conditions – hoping their emergency beacons would help – if anyone could get to them in a vast ocean, of course. While director Orsini implements some on-screen animation with the Omar’s physical movement, and hyper-speed edited cuts when the drama picks up pace, the lack of physical footage (I appreciate this would have been impossible in some situations) does feel like its needed but I’m unsure how else they could retell it, unless it was part-fictionalised.

But Beyond The Raging Sea isn’t just about the Omar’s near death experience, as the last section offers its time to highlight the perilous plight of refugees who take to the ocean in order to find a new life or, very simply, just to survive. Because the filmmakers don’t dedicate a lot of time to this, and they could have integrated stories as they go along, it could feel like a slightly cynical crowbar to bring interest to their tale BUT I believe it’s fair to give them the benefit of the doubt, as they never devalue the awareness they ‘chose’ to go on their journey, and refugees often have no choice. While the two devastatingly emotional stories, from Louay and Mohammed, are important, it’s complex to not consider it an afterthought, even if the intentions are genuine and both Omar’s are clear in this reality.

But, overall, their story which is told in great detail is one to revel in, and that feels like partly the point here – and the attachment to forced human displacement, whether through the horrifying human trafficking, or fleeing a war zone, is vital to highlight. Beyond The Raging Sea dedicates its story to those who’ve suffered dangerous crossings, for both those who have, or have not, made it somewhere more secure – and this human connection gives it gravitas and just enough balance to consider from all angles.  

Beyond The Raging Sea is out now in cinemas, from Munro Films, find a screening and more info here: https://www.beyondtheragingsea.com/