“But afterwards there occurred violent earthquakes and floods; and in a single day and night of misfortune all your warlike men in a body sank into the earth, and the island of Atlantis in like manner disappeared in the depths of the sea.”
– Plato
From Disney cartoons to Tolkein’s Fall of Númenor, Plato’s account of Atlantis has inspired millions over the last several thousand years. Scholars and enthusiasts alike have picked apart the story in search for the location of the fabled city beneath the waves.
Beyond the Pillars of Herecles have led the hunt for Atlantis to places like the Azores, the Richat Structure and even the shores of the Americas while mainstream historians and archaeologists have rationalized the story as purely fictional, or at best a memory of the Minoan destruction by volcanic eruption in Crete.
But what if everyone had been looking in the wrong place?
In 2015, filmmaker Michael Donnellan embarked on an expedition that would lead to something incredible.
Join Michael on his journey in the US Premiere of his documentary, Atlantica and learn of one of the most significant discoveries in humanity’s history.
In this special cut for Cosmic Summit, you’ll be treated to a pre-screening presentation from Michael himself, as well as the chance to ask your burning questions afterwards.
With breath-taking discoveries and gorgeous cinematography, this is an experience you’ll not want to miss.
Watch the Atlantica Trailer below
Atlantica will be screened on Saturday 21st June at 9pm in the Yang room, adjacent to the main stage.
Michael Donnellan is an archaeologist and researcher leading one of the most in-depth investigations into the lost civilization of Atlantis ever conducted. His journey into archaeology began at Deree College (The American College of Greece) in Athens, where he studied Minoan and Mycenaean sites, including Akrotiri in Santorini and ancient Crete.
Curiously, his career took a 25-year detour into film production, where he worked as an animator and creative director for major studios like 20th Century Fox and Disney. However, his passion for archaeology reignited in 2015, when he joined a multidisciplinary team of archaeologists and field specialists. This led to groundbreaking expeditions, including:
The search for Egypt’s “Lost Labyrinth of Hawara” in Fayoum.
An excavation in Norfolk, England, investigating King John’s lost baggage train.
The discovery of the famous galleon Bonhomme Richard—where Michael became the first person to recover artifacts from the wreck.
Utilizing cutting-edge scanning technology, his team has since uncovered dozens of archaeological breakthroughs. In 2016, he launched an expedition along Southern Spain’s Atlantic coast, uncovering hundreds of prehistoric structures from a previously unknown civilization. As an accomplished diver, he led underwater explorations that revealed never-before-seen submerged ruins.
Following Plato’s exact descriptions in Timaeus and Critias—combined with rigorous fieldwork and technological innovation—his team made a historic discovery in 2022: a sunken city with concentric circular walls, perfectly matching the details of Atlantis’s capital. Geological, historical, and archaeological evidence confirms this city aligns with the timeline and descriptions of the lost empire.
This monumental find has been documented in the groundbreaking documentary series Atlantica. Michael, an American raised in Europe and the Middle East, now resides in Andalucía, dedicating his life to these revolutionary discoveries.
“I can’t wait to hear the collective gasps from the Cosmic audience following Michael’s pivotal “Let me help you out” comment before the grand reveal.”
Stephanie – Cosmic Summit
