, ▁all ▁ess entials ▁of ▁life , ▁from ▁a ▁large ▁support ▁team ▁above . ▁ ▁Men ▁on ▁the ▁bottom ▁performed ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁experiments ▁intended ▁to ▁determine ▁the ▁practical ity ▁of ▁working ▁on ▁the ▁sea ▁floor ▁and ▁were ▁subject ed ▁to ▁contin ual ▁medical ▁exam in ations . ▁ ▁The ▁document ary , ▁ 9 3 ▁minutes ▁long , ▁received ▁wide ▁international ▁the atr ical ▁distribution , ▁and ▁was ▁awarded ▁an ▁Academy ▁Award ▁for ▁Best ▁Document ary , ▁ ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁numerous ▁other ▁hon ors . ▁It ▁was ▁Cou ste au ' s ▁second ▁film ▁to ▁win ▁Best ▁Document ary , ▁the ▁first ▁being ▁The ▁Sil ent ▁World ▁released ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 . ▁ ▁Fund ed ▁in ▁part ▁by ▁the ▁French ▁pet ro chem ical ▁industry , ▁the ▁Cons h elf ▁Two ▁experiment ▁was ▁originally ▁intended ▁to ▁demonstrate ▁the ▁practical ity ▁of ▁explo itation ▁of ▁the ▁sea ▁using ▁under water ▁habit ats ▁as ▁base ▁stations . ▁In ▁the ▁end ▁Cou ste au ▁rep udi ated ▁such ▁an ▁approach , ▁turning ▁his ▁efforts ▁instead ▁toward ▁conservation . ▁The ▁lyr ical ▁and ▁dram atic ▁under water ▁sequences ▁also ▁likely ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁an ▁era ▁of ▁ocean ▁conservation ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁incident ally ▁prom oting ▁sport ▁div ing . ▁Mem or able ▁sequences ▁involve ▁men ▁cav ort ing ▁with ▁fish es , ▁an ▁under water ▁ch ess ▁game , ▁and ▁the ▁div ing ▁sau cer ▁reaching ▁depth s ▁of ▁ 3 0 0 ▁meters , ▁encounter ing ▁new ▁and ▁unique