“The Swimmers,” directed by Sally El Hosaini, is a Netflix film based on the true tales of Yursa Mardini and her sister, Yalla Mardini. The two girls are young Syrian Refugees, who escape the civil war in their homeland to flee to Germany and chase their dream of becoming Olympic swimmers. Before fleeing, Yursa was aiming to represent Syria in the Olympics come the 2016 Games in Rio. However, after encountering a nearly deadly attack, the two convince their family to pick up, head to Turkey, sail across the Greek Sea, and cross borders of neighboring nations until they find asylum in Germany. Once in Germany, they enter a refugee camp, and Yursa meets a swim coach Sven who agrees to train her and represent the Refugee Olympic Team in Rio 2016.
I thought this film was absolutely incredible. The movie captured how beautiful Syria was prior to civil war, as a flourishing country whose people were filled with dreams and ambitions. I feel like many people tend to think of current refugees as “low-leveled” people who shouldn’t be welcomed into new countries, but in reality, these people are often sophisticated, wealthy, and educated. This film reminds the viewer that anyone can be a refugee, and being a refugee only implies that the person is looking to escape inevitable hardships in their homeland. Additionally, I think the film really showed the treacherous joineries that many refugees choose to take in search of asylum. When Yursa, Yalla, and many other refugees choose to cross the sea on an inflatable ship with a nearly broken motor, and nearly die while doing so, it sticks it to the audience that this is often a life-or-death situation. I specifically remember one scene when the refugees finally land in Greece and when walking, they toss their lifejackets onto the ground – as the camera continues to zoom out, you see hundreds to thousands of other lifejackets on the ground from other refugees who underwent similar, horrendous, potentially fatal treks.
My favorite thing about the film is how, when it seemed like there was almost no hope left, Yursa chose to use her swimming to cultivate a new life for herself. Between physically training in the refugee camp with gallons of water as weights, going out into the city to find a pool and coach, and eventually becoming so powerful in the water that she qualifies for the Refugee Olympic Team, Yursa’s story is an incredibly inspiring one. I remember when, at the Olympic Games, Yursa overhears other athletes saying she doesn’t deserve to be here; Yalla then says to her, “they’re right, you don’t deserve to be hear. You deserve to be at the bottom of the sea. You deserve to be in a Hungarian detainee.camp.” Overall, this movie shares an amazing story that depicts the horror of being a refugee, but also the resilient, tenacious, and beyond admirable characters of these people looking to find new lives. I loved this movie and really recommend it, as it pulls on your heartstrings and educates you on a matter that it so critical nowadays.
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