76 Days Adrift At Sea
From Executive Producer Ang Lee comes 76 Days Adrift—a profoundly immersive documentary that plunges you into the heart of one man’s extraordinary survival story.
Steven Callahan, the author of the New York Times bestseller Adrift: 76 Days Lost at Sea, recounts the night of February 4, 1982, when a catastrophic collision with a whale left his boat sinking in the dead of night. With the Atlantic Ocean surging into his vessel, Steven had only moments to grab what he could before launching himself into the dark, unforgiving sea in a life raft, clutching a basic emergency kit.
For an astonishing 76 days, that fragile inflatable raft became Steven’s entire world as he drifted helplessly across the vast expanse of the Atlantic. Forced to confront his deepest fears, limitations, and the raw power of nature, he discovered an inner strength he never knew he possessed.
Directed by Joe Wein and set to a haunting score by Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump, 76 Days Adrift is more than just a survival story—it’s a powerful meditation on human endurance, resilience, and the profound connection between man and nature.
DIRECTOR’S NOTE
While navigating through some of the most challenging moments of my life, I stumbled upon Steven Callahan’s book in a dusty corner of a used bookstore. I bought it on a whim, hoping it would serve as a temporary escape. I had no idea that what started as a distraction would resonate so deeply. I was curious—how could anyone possibly survive floating across the Atlantic Ocean on an inflatable raft?
I found myself unexpectedly connected to Steven. His struggles mirrored my own—a man grappling with his identity, wrestling with the world around him, and pushing his limits sometimes beyond the point of reason. He found himself in an unthinkable situation, adrift in the middle of the Atlantic, confined to a life raft so small he couldn’t even stretch out fully. His raft was failing, leaking air, with no food or water left. The search for him had been called off; he was presumed dead. Alone, attacked by sharks in the dead of night, facing the most harrowing of circumstances, it seemed more comforting to let go, to slip quietly into the ocean rather than endure a slow, torturous demise.
Yet, Steven never saw himself as a hero. When I asked him how he persevered, his answer was simple—he was more terrified of dying than comforted by it.
Though his ordeal far surpassed anything I was going through, it was also deeply relatable. On that raft, with over 1,800 miles of unpredictable ocean stretching before him, and with problems that seemed insurmountable, Steven did what many of us struggle to do—he focused on the one thing he could control. He solved one problem, then the next, and the next, facing each success and failure as it came. He was forced to confront his limitations in ways he never imagined, and in doing so, he achieved the impossible.
It has been an incredible privilege to connect with Steven, to gain his trust, and to have the opportunity to bring his story to life on screen. The journey of making this film has mirrored the one it portrays—step by step, piece by piece, crossing an ocean of challenges to create something that matters.