”The Swimmers,” directed by Sally El Hosaini for Netflix, recreates the heroic real-life story of two young sisters from war-torn Syria, who arduously hero’s-journeyed—yes I made up a verb—to freedom in Germany. They are sisters Sarah Mardini and Yusra Mardini, played by sisters Manal Issa and Nathalie Issa.
”The Swimmers” is also an unlikely sports drama, with one sister heading, despite the unbelievable tribulations and setbacks, to swim in the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympics.
The Sisters Mardini
Coached by their father Ezzat (Ali Suliman) in Damascus, Syria, a Muslim country where the women enjoy freedom, his daughters became top-ranked competitive swimmers. Mr. Mardini dreamed of both his girls becoming Olympians and representing their nation.
The story begins in 2011, on Yusra’s birthday, at the start of the Syrian Civil War. Then the story shifts to 2015, when the girls are a little older. It’s quickly established that Yusra is the introverted and disciplined aquatic phenom, while sister Sara is the extroverted partier, less dedicated to the sport, who strives to crawl out from under her father’s heavy expectations and create a future on her own terms.
Escape
Syria’s civil war heats up, Russia bombards the country when the government asks for military aid, and Sara starts planning to take Yusra and escape to Germany, where there’s a program that helps refugees and brings their families to join them. Their father forbids it.Ezzat’s mind changes however when a bomb crashes through the roof of Yusra’s swim meet and splashes into the pool. Two people die. Could it get any clearer what needs to happen here? The sisters set off with cousin Nizar (Ahmed Malek) and head to Greece. Dad gives his swim-daughters 10,000 Euros and his blessing.
The girls fly to Turkey on a tourist visa, and then pay a smuggler to take them to the Greek island of Lesbos along with a small, multinational group of fellow refugees. The smuggler arranges an inflatable dinghy with an outboard motor, informs them the trip will just take a couple of hours, and then sends them off on their own.
Next Leg of the Journey
But eventually, Yusra, Sara, and Nizar arrive in Berlin and begin their asylum petitions. They stay in cramped cubicles in a giant hangar with hundreds of other refugees. Yusra manages to find a swim-club coach named Sven (Matthias Schweighofer). After Yusra impresses him with her swim times, Sven decides to coach her.
Many changes happen for the sisters as they await the outcome of their asylum process. They fight despair, fight with each other, and try to deal with the trauma after their horrific journey to Berlin, all while forbearing through endless interviews and paperwork.
They learn their family will not be able to join them through the program they initially chose Germany for, and Sara finally follows her heart and quits swimming, deciding instead that she'll return to Lesbos to help other escaping refugees.
Sven eventually tells Yusra that a refugee Olympic team will be established to compete in Rio. Cue powerful training montage. Her times improve. Eventually Yusra becomes an Olympian.
Too Long
Nathalie and Manal have great sibling chemistry and portray the Mardini sisters wonderfully; their fighting, making up, and love for each other all feels real.The primary weakness of “The Swimmers” is that at 2 hours, 14 minutes, it tends to drag in areas. The devastating lows and soaring highs are somewhat dulled by an overly long narrative that needed more cutting; it definitely didn’t need to go past the two-hour mark.
“The Swimmers” highlights the dire straits of those escaping certain death, and brings into sharp focus the iron will necessary to not only bounce back from the hellacious immigration experience, but to scale the dizzying heights of mount Olympiad. Very inspiring.
