“Swim for me, for everyone who died trying to find a new life — swim for all of us.” From War-ravaged Syria to the 2016 Rio Olympics, ‘The Swimmers’ retraces the journey of two sisters, Yusra and Sarah Mardini, who escaped a war to chase a dream. Hitting Netflix on 23 November, ‘The Swimmers’ is an empowering reminder of the power of human resilience. Directed by Egyptian-British filmmaker Sally El Hossainy and co-written by El Hossainy British screenwriter Jack Thorne, The Swimmers – first premiered as an opener for 47th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), and had its MENA premiere in the 44th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) on 16 November. In an undeniably powerful portrayal of adversity and triumph, the film follows the life of swimmers Yusra and Sarah Mardini (played by real-life sisters Nathalie and Manal Issa) when their life in Damascus is destroyed by the 2015 civil war in Syria. The horror that has become their lives forces them to the impossible: the swimmers no longer swim for medals, they start swimming for their lives. Note: Stop reading here if you want to avoid…
‘The Swimmers’ Review: A Compelling Story of Sisterhood, Olympic Dreams, and Tragedy
November 19, 2022
