The Swimmers (2022 film)

The Swimmers

Company type	Film
Industry	Motion picture
Founded	2022
Key people	Sally El Hosaini (director), Jack Thorne (screenwriter)
Products	Biographical sports drama film
Parent	Working Title Films, Netflix

The Swimmers is a 2022 biographical sports drama film helmed by director Sally El Hosaini, who collaborated with Jack Thorne on the screenplay. The cast includes real-life siblings Nathalie Issa and Manal Issa, alongside Ahmed Malek, Matthias Schweighöfer, Ali Suliman, Kinda Alloush, James Krishna Floyd, and Elmi Rashid Elmi. The narrative centers on two sisters embarking on a hazardous journey from conflict-ridden Syria to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where one competes in the 2016 Summer Olympics.

The Swimmers had its debut at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2022, followed by a limited theatrical release on November 11 and later streaming availability on November 23 through Netflix. The film was nominated for Outstanding British Film at the 2023 BAFTA awards, garnered favorable reviews from critics, and achieved widespread popularity on Netflix, securing the number one spot in 15 countries and ranking within the top ten in 85 countries.

Premise

The story portrays teenage Syrian refugees Yusra Mardini and her sister Sarah Mardini, who swam alongside a sinking refugee boat to reduce its weight, enabling 18 refugees to survive a perilous crossing of the Aegean Sea while being trafficked from İzmir to Lesbos. The film further explores their ongoing challenges as refugees, culminating with Yusra's swimming career leading to her participation in the Rio 2016 Olympics as a member of the Refugee Olympic Team.

Closing credits disclose that Sarah returned to Lesbos in 2016 to aid new refugees but was subsequently detained and faced serious charges that could have resulted in lengthy imprisonment if convicted.

Cast

• Nathalie Issa as Yusra Mardini
• Manal Issa as Sarah Mardini
• Ahmed Malek as Nizar
• Matthias Schweighöfer as Sven
• James Krishna Floyd as Emad
• Ali Suliman as Ezzat Mardini
• Kinda Alloush as Mervat Mardini
• Elmi Rashid Elmi as Bilal
• Nahel Tzegai as Shada

Production

In April 2021, Manal Issa and Nathalie Issa were announced to portray Yusra and Sarah Mardini in The Swimmers, a project produced by Working Title Films in partnership with Netflix. Although production was initially postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, filming recommenced in April 2021 across locations in the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Turkey, including Istanbul and Çeşme.

Both lead actresses acquired swimming skills specifically for their roles. Subsequently, Manal Issa voiced criticism regarding aspects of the film, citing issues such as orientalism, political neutrality, insufficient representation of Syrian actors, emotional distress experienced during shoots near refugee crossings, and inadequate compensation for Turkish and Syrian background performers. Director Sally El Hosaini underscored a commitment to safeguarding cast members’ well-being—particularly Syrian refugees involved both on-screen and behind the scenes—to prevent re-traumatization. She also emphasized the necessity of involving refugees themselves to authentically convey their experiences.

El Hosaini aimed to deliver an honest depiction of refugee realities amid the ongoing global refugee crisis, extending beyond just the Mardini sisters’ account. Yusra Mardini has remarked that her portrayal serves not only as a personal story but also as a means to raise awareness and inspire hope for millions of displaced people worldwide. She noted that while some fictionalization was used for dramatic purposes, the film remains faithful to the essential truth of refugee experiences.

Release

The Swimmers debuted as the opening feature at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2022. It was subsequently released in selected theaters on November 11, 2022, before becoming available for streaming on Netflix starting November 23, 2022. The film rapidly gained international popularity on Netflix, securing the number one spot in 15 countries and ranking within the top 10 across 85 countries during its initial week. In its following week, audience numbers increased further, elevating it to the second position worldwide on the platform.

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie holds an approval rating of 82% based on 62 critic reviews, with many reviewers praising its treatment of an important subject matter and generally positive tone. Meanwhile, Metacritic assigns it a score of 62 out of 100 from 15 reviews, reflecting "generally favorable reviews."

Critics have lauded the film for confronting simplistic Western narratives about refugees while highlighting aspects of Arab culture.

Accolades

Award	Date of ceremony	Category	Recipient(s)	Result
British Academy Film Awards	February 19, 2023	Outstanding British Film	The Swimmers	Template:Nom