Les Nageuses

... trying to find a new life. Most of us reading this thankfully live in stable democracies in which the biggest concerns of our lives are inflation, rising interest rates and ever bigger mortgages. We do not really stop to consider others whose lives are upended or stymied by war, genocide and ruthless dictators. Some of us even cast a wary glance at refugees, asylum seekers and even ordinary migrants because they had the apparent audacity to seek a better life in our countries and take our jobs (even if these are jobs no one wanted in the first place, as the COVID-19 pandemic proved).

Although it is not a cinematic masterpiece, The Swimmers tell an ample tale about the dreams and aspirations of every human being regardless of which country or family they are born into; they desire safety, shelter, community and, above all, an environment that supports their growth and allows them to find purpose and meaning in this universe. We all have but a short span of time on this planet and we should thank our lucky stars if we do not have to negotiate psychopathic and narcissistic leaders like Bashar al-Assad who put their own selfish interests before their nation's.

With bombs and soldiers swarming around their home in Damascus, sisters Yusra and Sara decide to flee to Europe in pursuit of a better life. As highly competitive swimmers the girls were training to compete in the Olympics. Now instead of swimming in a pool, Yusra and Sara are trying out the Mediterranean. Other obstacles threatening to pull them under include a broken-down raft overloaded with passengers, barbed wire fences, dogs, police, and criminals eager to profit from desperate refugees. Still, the greatest currents that they are swimming against are in themselves.

This miraculous true story sheds light on a pressing global issue. Over 6 million refugees fled from Syria since 2011. Following the story of Yusra and Sara helps us to understand the issues that refugees face. The actors are sisters in real life, so their chemistry is authentic and comes from spending a lifetime together. It is heartwarming to witness Yusra and Sara holding onto life and their love for each other. The filmmakers are no slouches themselves, and there are some amazing scenes including a dance sequence in an empty warehouse.

I needed to give this movie 9 stars out of 10, because it has such an important message. What are we doing with our world? Why do we let greed divide us? Why is it so important to wage war around every corner?

This is an eye opening experience. To hear about refugees crossing the oceans in little boats and visually seeing what can happen is very different. Obviously it is very hard to get every suffering soul into Europe or the US, there are just too many, but this is why it is even more important to bring education and wealth into every corner of the world.

It is important to have movies about fantasies, about princesses, about interesting stories, but it is maybe even more important to shine the light on unspeakable circumstances. So thanks a lot for this movie, thank you for a beautiful performance from the Issa sisters and thank you for human beings like the Mardini sisters.

As "The Swimmers" (2022 release from Turkey; 135 min) opens, we are in "2011, a suburb of Damascus, Syria", and we get to know sisters Yursa and Sara, whose father is also their swim coach. We then go to "2015, Four Years Later", and the civil war in Syria is destroying everything. Yursa and Sara, now 17 yo, decide to flee Syria, accompanied by their cousin. At this point we are less than 15 minutes in the movie.

Couple of comments: this is the latest from Welsh-Egyptian director Sally El Hoisani ("My Brother The Devil). Here she brings the true story of the Mardini family, in particular Yursa and Sara, who are competitive swimmers. The film is really several movies into one: the dramatic journey these sisters, and many more like them, were taking that particular year (2015) to escape the living hell that was (is) Syria. There are no words, frankly. (You may recall that when Germany was confronted with wave after wave of refugees, then=Chancellor Angela Merkel famously declared "wir schaffen das", "we can handle this". One of the most courageous political decisions by a Western leader EVER.) The film also brings the account of Yusra as the underdog swimmer trying to reach the 2016 Olympics, at reminding of being "Rocky" for swimming. Last but not least, the film also reminds us that these refugees are first and foremost people like you and me, going up against impossible situations and circumstances of life. The film is a little long for its own good, but it's a minor complaint. Yusra and Sara are played by real life sisters Nathalie and Manai Issa.

"The Swimmers" had a limited US theatrical run earlier this month, and it started streaming on Netflix just a few days ago. The movie is currently rated 82% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and for good reason. If you have any interests in understanding why it is that millions upon millions of people have fled Syria over the last decade and what they go through to try and reach safety in Europe, or if you are looking for a good underdog story set in the world of competitive swimming, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

It's a wonderful story sees two girls become women, when they're forced to up sticks from the place they've been living, as conflict and turmoil takes grip in their land, and democracy, freedom and liberties canned, fighting tides and head winds as they travel with others, who have similar tales of opportunities smothered, with hope and belief that the city of Berlin, will be their spring board, and allow them to swim.

The brave and courageous story of the tenacious Mardini sisters and their cousin Nizar, as they make the perilous journey from Syria to Germany in search of a new life and for one, the hope to swim at the Rio Olympics. Beautifully performances and genuinely inspiring.