It’s a tale almost too astonishing to believe: two sisters flee their war-torn country and save sixteen other people’s lives through their champion swimming skills. But it’s the true story of Olympic swimmer Yusra Mardini and her sister Sara and the basis for “The Swimmers,” set for its world premiere as the opening film at the Toronto International Film Festival this month.
READ MORE: ‘The Swimmers’: Syrian Refugee Drama Will Open 2022 Toronto International Film Festival
Sally El Hosaina directs the upcoming film about the sisters’ journey from war-torn Syria to the Rio Olympic Games. The film stars Nathalie Issa and Manal Issa as Yasura and Sara Mardini. Matthias Schweighöfer, Ahmed Malek, James Krishna Floyd, Nahel Tzegai, Kinda Alloush, and Ali Suliman round out the main cast. El Hosaina also co-writes the film’s script with “Enola Holmes” scribe Jack Thorne.
The story of the Mardini sisters is equal parts harrowing and heroic. In 2015, amid the still-ongoing Syrian Civil War, Yusra Mardini and her sister, Sara, fled their country for asylum in Europe. They made plans to smuggle themselves into Greece by boat with other refugees, but too many people were on the vessel, 18 to the recommended 6 or 7. Then, mid-trip, the dinghy’s motor stopped working, the boat started to take on water. Yusra, her sister, and two others sprung into action, diving into the water and dragging the boat over three hours until they reached Lesbos. After making it to Greece, Yusra and her sister traveled by foot to Germany, and Yusra became an athlete at the Rio and Tokyo Olympic Games.
Following its premiere at TIFF, “The Swimmers” gets the Netflix treatment. The film hits the streamer on November 23, but it remains unclear if Netflix gives “The Swimmers” a limited theatrical release beforehand. Watch a teaser trailer for the upcoming movie below.