“Voices from the Abyss” – New York Premiere Tonight at IFC Center Award-winning short documentary about Acapulco’s La Quebrada cliff divers screens at DOC NYC

 

“Voices from the Abyss” – New York Premiere Tonight at IFC Center

Award-winning short documentary about Acapulco’s La Quebrada cliff divers screens at DOC NYC

The acclaimed short documentary “Voices from the Abyss,” co-directed by Irving Serrano and Misael Alva, will have its New York premiere tonight at 9:20 PM at the IFC Center as part of DOC NYC, the largest documentary festival in the United States. The filmmakers will participate in a Q&A following the screening. A second screening will be held Saturday, November 15, at 11:30 AM.​

“Voices from the Abyss” immerses viewers in the daring world of Acapulco’s La Quebrada cliff divers. This legendary tradition, started in the 1930s by local fishermen seeking both sustenance and prestige, has evolved into one of the city’s most iconic and perilous rituals—divers leap from sheer cliffs over 100 feet tall, timing their jumps to the rhythm of the incoming tide to safely plunge into a narrow chasm of roiling seawater. As chronicled by El País and travel historians, the La Quebrada divers have “defined the city’s identity for over 90 years,” symbolizing both bravery and the search for transcendence.​

Crucially, Acapulco itself—and the divers who have carried on this tradition—reflect the multicultural heritage of the Guerrero coast, historically shaped by the confluence of Indigenous, Spanish, and African roots. Scholars and journalists highlight that the region is home to Mexico’s third-largest Afro-descendant community, and historical accounts link some founding diver families to this lineage. In her overview, Lauren Cocking notes, “Acapulco and neighboring coastal towns in Guerrero are home to a significant Afro-Mexican population, and this cultural identity is expressed through music, ritual, and public spectacle—including the famous cliff divers”.​

"Voices from the Abyss” documents both veteran and rising divers, featuring poetic narration and slow-motion sequences that underscore the spirituality and precision of the ritual. Co-director Irving Serrano frames the ritual as “Mexico’s deep relationship with the sea, tradition, and survival,” especially resonant after Hurricane Otis tested the city’s spirit. The film also recognizes Indigenous roots, as pre-Columbian communities along Guerrero’s coast practiced ceremonial dives into rivers and lagoons long before modern tourism.​

The documentary has qualified for Oscar consideration by winning Best Documentary Short at three Academy Award–qualifying festivals: HollyShorts, Morelia, and Guadalajara. It has been programmed at leading international festivals, including Hot Docs, Energa Camerimage, Leeds, MIDBO, FIDBA, Busan, and Doc Edge, reflecting acclaim from critics and audiences worldwide.​

“Voices from the Abyss” stands as both a tribute to Acapulco’s diverse cultural legacy and a meditation on the courage required to leap, again and again, into the unknown—honoring Afro-Mexican, Indigenous, and local families whose lives have been shaped by the edge of the sea.​

Screening details:

 IFC Center, New York

 Thursday, November 13 – 9:20 PM (with Q&A)

 Saturday, November 15 – 11:30 AM

 Trailer: https://youtu.be/eOSliPa_oU4?si=5p4KsIWW_O24cSKE