Explorer through imagery, diver & extreme-environment specialist

Born on the beaches of Normandy into a family of lighthouse keepers, sailors, and fishermen, Manuel grew up literally with his feet in the water. From a young age, he learned freediving and explored the seabed of the English Channel under harsh conditions: cold water, strong currents, and low visibility—a first taste of the deep connection he would develop with aquatic environments.

In his teens, he became passionate about extreme sports and competed semi-professionally in BMX freestyle. He founded a cycling association to offer free lessons to youth, creating a first school for leadership, pedagogy, and risk management. These years shaped his love for challenges, mentorship, and teamwork.

Surrounded by videographers and photographers, he realized the power of imagery as a tool for storytelling, emotion, and transformation.

In 2012, at 19, he crossed the Atlantic to settle in Quebec City, studying multimedia integration. He began specializing in capturing footage under difficult conditions and founded ProdAqua, a production company dedicated to filming in aquatic and extreme environments.

Over the years, Manuel earned professional diving and commercial diving certifications (DCBC / IMCA) and trained as a rope-access technician for high-altitude work. He developed rare expertise: operating and filming in critical environments, whether high mountains, arid zones, aerial spaces, under-ice diving, WWII shipwrecks, or polluted industrial waters. His shoots combine extreme cold, safety constraints, heavy logistics, and cutting-edge technology (360°, ultra slow motion, timelapse).

A recognized specialist in polar and under-ice diving, he is among the few cinematographers capable of freediving in such extreme conditions. He has contributed to numerous documentaries and series covering freshwater and marine ecosystems, as well as scientific and archaeological missions.

Alongside his productions, Manuel is deeply involved in water conservation. He co-founded Mission 1000 Tonnes France and serves as Diving Director for Mission 1000 Tonnes in Canada, leading cleanup operations in complex environments: urban rivers, port basins, low-visibility zones, strong currents… mobilizing hundreds of volunteers and dive teams while prioritizing safety, education, and awareness.

Awarded multiple times for his imagery—Jury’s Choice at the Galathea International Marine Film Festival (France), Citizen Award – Nature Category from the Réseau Québec maritime, distinctions at the Nautil’Art International Festival of Rouen, among others—he brings his artistic eye to stories that combine beauty, technical mastery, and ecological awareness.

Explorer, filmmaker, founder, but above all a storyteller, Manuel Añò now dedicates part of his time to speaking engagements. He transforms his years of extreme expeditions—high mountains, polar regions, under-ice dives, hyperbaric projects—into powerful tools to address leadership in uncertain contexts, crisis management, decision-making under pressure, individual and collective resilience, communication in high-risk situations, and sustainability.

Based between Quebec and Normandy, he continues to lead high-stakes missions while supporting organizations seeking to inspire their teams and prepare them to navigate complex, ever-changing… sometimes as unpredictable as a dive beneath drifting ice.