The Swimmers

Synopsis

In 2015, Sisters Yusra and Sara Mardini fled their home in Damascus with their cousin during the Syrian war, risking the perilous journey to Europe and went on to compete in the Olympics. This soaring epic dramatisation of that story by Welsh filmmaker Sally El Hosaini shows how they went from being trained by their father with dreams of the Olympics, but almost lost it all in a lethal stretch of the Mediterranean sea. At the heart of the extraordinary story is the relationship between two young women, fiercely holding onto life and their love for each other.  

Genre: Drama

Welsh Connection

Director / Co-writer: Sally El Hosaini

Production Details

Co-writer: Jack Thorne

Technical Details

Length: 2hrs 14 mins
Language: English, Arabic
Certificate: 15
Format: DCP

Release

Date: November 11th 2022

Press

• Sally El Hosaini to direct Syrian Olympic swimmer story ‘The Swimmers’ for Working Title – ScreenDaily

Festivals

• Toronto International Film Festival, Canada (September 2022)
• Zurich Film Festival, Switzerland (September 2022)
• BFI London Film Festival, UK (October 2022)
• Hamptons International Film Festival, USA (October 2022)
• Festival do Rio, Brazil (October 2022)
• Watch Africa Film Festival, Wales (November 2022)