The Swimmers

Review by Thomas Brown

The short:

This is a movie adaptation of the real story of Olympic swimmer Yusra Mardini and her sister, Sarah Mardini, as they migrate to Germany by sea and foot to escape the threat of conflict in their home country, Syria. Once in Germany, Yusra and Sarah battle to save both their family from conflict and also pursue Yusra’s dream of swimming in the Olympics.  

The long:

This 2-hour film takes the viewer on a journey of personal struggle and perseverance in every sense of those terms. We watch as Sarah and Yusra grapple with the decision to leave their home in Syria, as well as the following journey to make their way into Europe. Alongside stunning cinematography and acting, the movie in many ways manages to show the momentous effort of this journey from two perspectives: that of the refugees and that of the western media onlookers. While never losing sight of the story’s main focus – the drive of a young girl to find safety for herself and one day compete in the Olympics – it also manages to hold a mirror up to the audience who may have followed the ‘refugee crisis’ of 2014-2016 on the news. During this period, many in the west were shown videos and photos of thousands of refugees piling over eastern European borders and Mediterranean coastlines. Sarah’s journey shows an example of the personality and humanity behind each individual shown. This is achieved through the juxtaposition of shots of the Mardini sisters watching British live news reports on the refugees’ movements as they were experiencing them in real-time: showing both what they were experiencing and what the global audience was seeing.

Yusra qualified for the first-ever Refugee Team at the 2016 Olympics (and she did so again for the 2020 Olympics, being the flag bearer). This movie showcases the realities many Syrian refugees faced in fleeing their home nation. The most poignant part of this film is on the shore the thousands of life jackets designating the thousands of refugees who made the journey across the sea.

To watch or not to watch:

While there are some emotionally challenging scenes, this is definitely a must-watch! With some visually harrowing and stunning moments, this deeply personal – and very true – story of two sisters’ will survive and shape their own future will no doubt linger with any viewer for quite some time.