The Swimmers

I did not know this story. It is very powerful and deserves to be told. I really enjoyed the performance of the Mardinis and I was glad to learn that they are sisters also in real life. Before watching it, you should consider that It is not an easy movie: a couple of times it is like a punch in the stomach. However I strongly recommend the vision. It is not easy to find a film on this subject that does not fall into stereotypes. The movie achieve its goal well and it helps you to exercise the empathy muscle. Several times I thought that I was very lucky to be born in a certain part of the world.

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.

..for how much it made me cry. A beautiful film. Well told. I'm sure there was a lot more heartache and joy in their journey, but this was phenomenal to be able to fit into the length of a feature.. and no buts, purely a fantastic film. Kudos to the director, editors, and everyone involved. I wish to know everyone's story from their particular journey. I know many have had to do this trip and many didn't make it. Inspiring. IMDB is making me write more, but I don't mind just repeating how great this film is. I look forward to seeing more films directed by Sally El Hosaini and writing by her as well.

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.

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.