The Toronto International Film Festival is right around the corner, and it’s kicking off strong with The Swimmers, a harrowing true story of an Olympic swimmer using her physical gifts to save others. The film by director Sally El Hosaina will have its world premiere as the Opening Night event at the festival, and ahead of it a new teaser has been released.
Nathalie Issa and Manal Issa star as Yasura and Sara Mardini in The Swimmers. The story of the Mardini’s is incredible. In 2015, the two siblings fled the ongoing Syrian Civil War for asylum in Europe. Joined by other refugees, they fled to Greece in a dinghy meant to hold 6 or 7 people, but was overloaded with 18. The boat stalled and began to take on water, so Yasura and Sara jumped in and along with two others, pulled the boat for over three hours until they reached Lesbos. From there, they traveled on foot to Germany, settling in Berlin. Yasura would join the Refugee Olympic Team and compete in the Rio and Tokyo Olympics.
El Hosaina not only directed the film but co-wrote the script with Enola Holmes and Wonder writer Jack Thorne. Matthias Schweighöfer, Ahmed Malek, James Krishna Floyd, Nahel Tzegai, Kinda Alloush, and Ali Suliman complete the cast.
Netflix will release The Swimmers on November 23rd following its TIFF premiere.
