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IMDbPro

The Swimmers

  • 20222022
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 2h 14m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
28K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
971
175
Manal Issa and Nathalie Issa in The Swimmers (2022)
A story of the miraculous journey made by swimming sisters Yusra and Sarah Mardini who fled as refugees from war-torn Syria all the way to the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Play trailer2:13
3 Videos
9 Photos
BiographyDramaSport
From war-torn Syria to the 2016 Rio Olympics, two young sisters embark on a harrowing journey as refugees, putting both their hearts and champion swimming skills to heroic use.From war-torn Syria to the 2016 Rio Olympics, two young sisters embark on a harrowing journey as refugees, putting both their hearts and champion swimming skills to heroic use.From war-torn Syria to the 2016 Rio Olympics, two young sisters embark on a harrowing journey as refugees, putting both their hearts and champion swimming skills to heroic use.
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
28K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
971
175
  • Director
    • Sally El Hosaini
  • Writers
    • Sally El Hosaini(co-written by)
    • Jack Thorne
  • Stars
    • Matthias Schweighöfer
    • Ali Suliman
    • Manal Issa
  • Director
    • Sally El Hosaini
  • Writers
    • Sally El Hosaini(co-written by)
    • Jack Thorne
  • Stars
    • Matthias Schweighöfer
    • Ali Suliman
    • Manal Issa
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 96User reviews
    • 57Critic reviews
    • 62Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
      • 3 nominations total

    Videos3

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:13
    Watch Official Trailer
    Official Teaser
    Trailer 1:22
    Watch Official Teaser
    The Swimmers: Diving In
    Featurette 2:35
    Watch The Swimmers: Diving In

    Photos9

    Manal Issa and Nathalie Issa in The Swimmers (2022)
    Manal Issa and Nathalie Issa in The Swimmers (2022)
    Manal Issa in The Swimmers (2022)
    Nathalie Issa in The Swimmers (2022)
    Nathalie Issa in The Swimmers (2022)
    Manal Issa and Nathalie Issa in The Swimmers (2022)
    The Swimmers (2022)
    Manal Issa and Nathalie Issa in The Swimmers (2022)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Matthias Schweighöfer
    Matthias Schweighöfer
    • Sven
    Ali Suliman
    Ali Suliman
    • Ezzat Mardini
    Manal Issa
    Manal Issa
    • Sara Mardini
    Nathalie Issa
    • Yusra Mardini
    James Krishna Floyd
    James Krishna Floyd
    • Emad
    Ahmed Malek
    Ahmed Malek
    • Nizar
    Nahel Tzegai
    Nahel Tzegai
    • Shada
    Zoltan Rencsar
    Zoltan Rencsar
    • Hungarian Police
    Alfredo Tavares
    Alfredo Tavares
    • Olympic Coach
    Daniel Eghan
    Daniel Eghan
    • Refugee
    Roderick Hill
    Roderick Hill
    • Viktor
    Victoria Valcheva
    Victoria Valcheva
    • Kostana
    Joelle Koissi
    Joelle Koissi
    • Olympic Photographer
    Kinda Alloush
    • Mervat Mardini
    Dritan Kastrati
    Dritan Kastrati
    • Vadim
    Balázs Csémy
    Balázs Csémy
    • Hungarian Mechanic
    Ekran Mustafa
    Ekran Mustafa
    • Refugee
    Elmi Rashid Elmi
    Elmi Rashid Elmi
    • Bilal
    • Director
      • Sally El Hosaini
    • Writers
      • Sally El Hosaini(co-written by)
      • Jack Thorne
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      A lot of the actors that were on the rubber dinghy were actual refugee, called in order to achieve honesty in the story telling. The seasickness and fainting scene were also real.
    • Connections
      Featured in EE BAFTA Film Awards (2023)

    User reviews96

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Awe-inspiring if slightly overlong film based on true story
    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.
    helpful•34
    14
    • paul-allaer
    • Nov 24, 2022

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 23, 2022 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Netflix Site
    • Languages
      • English
      • Arabic
    • Also known as
      • Плавчині
    • Filming locations
      • Damascus, Syria(on location)
    • Production companies
      • AZ Celtic Films
      • Working Title Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      2 hours 14 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital

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