User reviews

This movie touched me deeply. The Swimmers is a story about humanity, perseverance, love and hope. About family. In the realest way. The fact that all of this happened is unbelievable, and the fact it happened and keeps happening so much (meaning war and refugees) is heartbreaking to me. In our western world we tend to forget. So I'm grateful for this movie to bring forward this message. Even more grateful to have done this in such a beautiful and respectful way. The script is amazing, the cinematography is amazing and so are the actors. This is my first IMBd review and I just had to write it.

... trying to find a new life. Most of us reading this thankfully live in stable democracies in which the biggest concerns of our lives are inflation, rising interest rates and ever bigger mortgages. We do not really stop to consider others whose lives are upended or stymied by war, genocide and ruthless dictators. Some of us even cast a wary glance at refugees, asylum seekers and even ordinary migrants because they had the apparent audacity to seek a better life in our countries and take our jobs (even if these are jobs no one wanted in the first place, as the COVID-19 pandemic proved).

Although it is not a cinematic masterpiece, The Swimmers tell an ample tale about the dreams and aspirations of every human being regardless of which country or family they are born into; they desire safety, shelter, community and, above all, an environment that supports their growth and allows them to find purpose and meaning in this universe. We all have but a short span of time on this planet and we should thank our lucky stars if we do not have to negotiate psychopathic and narcissistic leaders like Bashar al-Assad who put their own selfish interests before their nation's.

It's a wonderful story sees two girls become women, when they're forced to up sticks from the place they've been living, as conflict and turmoil takes grip in their land, and democracy, freedom and liberties canned, fighting tides and head winds as they travel with others, who have similar tales of opportunities smothered, with hope and belief that the city of Berlin, will be their spring board, and allow them to swim.

The brave and courageous story of the tenacious Mardini sisters and their cousin Nizar, as they make the perilous journey from Syria to Germany in search of a new life and for one, the hope to swim at the Rio Olympics. Beautifully performances and genuinely inspiring.

..for how much it made me cry. A beautiful film. Well told. I'm sure there was a lot more heartache and joy in their journey, but this was phenomenal to be able to fit into the length of a feature.. and no buts, purely a fantastic film. Kudos to the director, editors, and everyone involved. I wish to know everyone's story from their particular journey. I know many have had to do this trip and many didn't make it. Inspiring. IMDB is making me write more, but I don't mind just repeating how great this film is. I look forward to seeing more films directed by Sally El Hosaini and writing by her as well.

As "The Swimmers" (2022 release from Turkey; 135 min) opens, we are in "2011, a suburb of Damascus, Syria", and we get to know sisters Yursa and Sara, whose father is also their swim coach. We then go to "2015, Four Years Later", and the civil war in Syria is destroying everything. Yursa and Sara, now 17 yo, decide to flee Syria, accompanied by their cousin. At this point we are less than 15 minutes in the movie.

Couple of comments: this is the latest from Welsh-Egyptian director Sally El Hoisani ("My Brother The Devil). Here she brings the true story of the Mardini family, in particular Yursa and Sara, who are competitive swimmers. The film is really several movies into one: the dramatic journey these sisters, and many more like them, were taking that particular year (2015) to escape the living hell that was (is) Syria. There are no words, frankly. (You may recall that when Germany was confronted with wave after wave of refugees, then=Chancellor Angela Merkel famously declared "wir schaffen das", "we can handle this". One of the most courageous political decisions by a Western leader EVER.) The film also brings the account of Yusra as the underdog swimmer trying to reach the 2016 Olympics, at reminding of being "Rocky" for swimming. Last but not least, the film also reminds us that these refugees are first and foremost people like you and me, going up against impossible situations and circumstances of life. The film is a little long for its own good, but it's a minor complaint. Yusra and Sara are played by real life sisters Nathalie and Manai Issa.

"The Swimmers" had a limited US theatrical run earlier this month, and it started streaming on Netflix just a few days ago. The movie is currently rated 82% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and for good reason. If you have any interests in understanding why it is that millions upon millions of people have fled Syria over the last decade and what they go through to try and reach safety in Europe, or if you are looking for a good underdog story set in the world of competitive swimming, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

I needed to give this movie 9 stars out of 10, because it has such an important message. What are we doing with our world? Why do we let greed divide us? Why is it so important to wage war around every corner?

This is an eye opening experience. To hear about refugees crossing the oceans in little boats and visually seeing what can happen is very different. Obviously it is very hard to get every suffering soul into Europe or the US, there are just too many, but this is why it is even more important to bring education and wealth into every corner of the world.

It is important to have movies about fantasies, about princesses, about interesting stories, but it is maybe even more important to shine the light on unspeakable circumstances. So thanks a lot for this movie, thank you for a beautiful performance from the Issa sisters and thank you for human beings like the Mardini sisters.

The story has everything you'd ever need to inspire young and old.

There's just something missing.

That something is that the screenplay, direction and chosen edit feel like a glossy magazine - not a gutsy drama.

The treatment of the subject matter is misguided at best.

Then when the director realises that there are massive lulls in the story it's jazzed up with some Hollywood-like plasticity just to keep a pulse going.

The story itself is moving, definitely. The casting and acting near perfect.

It's just difficult to understand how with all the industry experience for bringing incredible tales like this to the screen that the audience is subjected to the incredible stretches of outright boredom when there's all this material to choose from.

It's a real shame because the tale itself is mind blowing.

Started to watch this film without knowing anything about it, only that it was trending at number 3 on Netflix. I usually switch films off with subtitles but something about this one lured me in. The balance of spoken English and subtitles actually worked for me as the film is about people attempting to cross International borders not all of them speaking the same language.

I was, from the title expecting to see a story about 2 sisters training to be Olympic swimmers. And yes it is, but it's not a feel good story, it is the remarkable true story of a refugee achieving an Olympic dream. Living in my cosy U. K. bubble I had no concept of living in a war torn country and how that drives young people to risk their lives in order that their families can seek refuge in other countries and it has really opened my eyes.

Lesbos was one of my favourite holiday destinations but in the last decade I have begrudgingly avoided it because of refugees landing on it's beaches . I now feel humbled after watching the harrowing depiction of the 'boat' journey. Part way through I almost stopped watching as their journey made me feel more and more uncomfortable as this wasn't going to be a story with a completely happy ending.

There is also an insight into the conditions that refugees live in once they have arrived in Germany. Although not ideal thank goodness there are compassionate countries.

The film felt authentic as there were no big stars in the cast and it seemed credible that they were refugees (the only actor I recognised was the one who played a good looking Doctor in The Good Karma Hospital).

I think there should be more films made from the point of view of refugees as their story needs to be told.

I did not know this story. It is very powerful and deserves to be told. I really enjoyed the performance of the Mardinis and I was glad to learn that they are sisters also in real life. Before watching it, you should consider that It is not an easy movie: a couple of times it is like a punch in the stomach. However I strongly recommend the vision. It is not easy to find a film on this subject that does not fall into stereotypes. The movie achieve its goal well and it helps you to exercise the empathy muscle. Several times I thought that I was very lucky to be born in a certain part of the world.

It's movie on a story about refugees something that the world has been ignoring from a long time. It's a tough subject to create such a movie and do justice to the autobiography of the swimmers. The movie has many emotional points, I found it inspiring and moving too as opposed to few reviews that said it's not inspiring. I didn't find it long as well. Just keep going on if you feel it's streching then skips 10 seconds but I am sure that won't be needed. Enjoy this movie and pray for peace and stability across the world. I wish more such movies are made so the world can watch and support the refugees.

The movie that I'm taking a break at the 60th minute right now.

I was honestly expecting a biased movie before I started, but until now it's nothing but a disgrace.

Our Turks left the refugees to die. When the boat broke down, they called the Turkish police, but the Turks said they could not come. There was no Greek coast guard along the way. Whereas, the Greek owner security strips the refugees naked, takes their money from their pockets, blows their boots and leaves them to die. Lucky ones can come back.

When people arrived in greece, they welcomed them, gave them food, new clothes, shoes. They're walking around waving their arms right now. They come to the beach and enjoy the sea and the sun with their swimsuits. The only word I want to say as of the 60th minute is a super manipulation.

If so, why do we have millions of refugees? Look, not a hundred, not a thousand, not ten thousand, not a hundred thousand, not millions, not millions.

If so, how many million refugees are there in Greece? How many hundred thousand? How many thousand? How many hundred?

Let's share our bread with millions of refugees again, no worse than us. European paradise. They seriously said welcome. They gave food, clean clothes, clean shoes. Then they sent a special bus and went to Germany with that special bus. It was also a real life story. Let them love your lie.

With bombs and soldiers swarming around their home in Damascus, sisters Yusra and Sara decide to flee to Europe in pursuit of a better life. As highly competitive swimmers the girls were training to compete in the Olympics. Now instead of swimming in a pool, Yusra and Sara are trying out the Mediterranean. Other obstacles threatening to pull them under include a broken-down raft overloaded with passengers, barbed wire fences, dogs, police, and criminals eager to profit from desperate refugees. Still, the greatest currents that they are swimming against are in themselves.

This miraculous true story sheds light on a pressing global issue. Over 6 million refugees fled from Syria since 2011. Following the story of Yusra and Sara helps us to understand the issues that refugees face. The actors are sisters in real life, so their chemistry is authentic and comes from spending a lifetime together. It is heartwarming to witness Yusra and Sara holding onto life and their love for each other. The filmmakers are no slouches themselves, and there are some amazing scenes including a dance sequence in an empty warehouse.

A story like this has the ability to pull at your heartstrings and make your soul weep, to wonder how the world turned so cruel and be grateful for everything you have, The Swimmers missed on that opportunity. They made the protagonist a little too entitled and arrogant and while I understand she was young, I highly doubt she wasn't aware of the situation in her country and the sacrifices everybody around her made.

Overall though, the movie had some good shots, one that particularly stood out to me was the bombing while they danced in a high-rise, unaware the revolution had begun, which I imagine might have been the situation for many, the suddenness of live changing overnight. It's a good movie, it just had the promise of being much better.

Anyway, if you have read any of my other reviews, you'd know I'm a crier, but while this movie made me think, it didn't make my breaths shallow and let my mind travel in grief, it kept me there, watching some sports shots that didn't add to the movie.

Interesting movie, beginning was very dragged out. They did show that the refugees go through a lot. But barely showed the bad side of the smugglers. Of course it's not the case every-time but these people are ripping people off, raping, sex trafficking, drug smuggling etc. They need to show to people that smuggling and becoming a criminal by going illegally into other countries is a criminal offense. At the end made the sister a hero... The girls are very arrogant and entitled. Should have shown them, incorporating into Germany and learning German. This is a sad reality, going on. Everywhere.

I have never written a review here before, but this movie compelled me to do so for the first time. It brilliantly covers a very tough subject... that of refugees fleeing war torn countries under very risky & dangerous methods just hoping for a better & safer life. How folks could deny any refugee something so basic as water after coming to shore is beyond comprehension. It really drives home the need to have compassion for these refugees, as we are so lucky to live in the safe countries that we do. The acting is superb as well as the manner it was directed giving us glimpses into the emotions & thoughts in the refugees' minds through flashbacks of their journey to safety & the personal experiences of destruction & loss through war in their home countries. This movie is not easy to watch emotionally much of the time, but that difficultly is nothing compared to what these refugees have experienced. My only hope is that this movie will open up many hearts & minds to the plight of refugees for those that are against giving them safe refuge. We are all people and the lucky ones of us should recognize our good fortune and translate it to much care and assistance to those that aren't so fortunate.

There is much to like about this film - the acting is natural, the script disciplined. But dull. Very dull. The camera work by Christopher Ross is awful; it's shaky and unsure how to keep its subjects in frame. While the story is incredible, it is not realized here. The characters don't involve us the way they should do. Same for the editing, which is jumpy and unnatural, even jarring at times. There's simply too much hanging around and talking, missing the opportunity to weave a tale to involve us.

Instead, we feel outside the narrative, not fully understanding the complexity of emotions and motivations of the characters, other than the obvious will to survive. Mardini's story - and that of refugees - deserves better.

I've watched it twice already and what a great job they did making this! Finally a perspective of the realities of Western negligence when it comes to asylum seekers. This movie is motivational, stressful, heart wrenching/ heart warming and the fact the real life women are now facing prosecution from Greece for aiding asylum seekers and are facing up to 20 years in prison is something that should be talked about and condemned widely. For more information on that situation you can check out free humanitarians on Instagram. The actors also deserve all the praise because they did an amazing job. Refugees/ Asylum seekers have been through some of the worst conditions and many don't make out alive. People fleeing unsafe conditions from non European countries are constantly neglected and it's time we have more movies like this amplifying the stories of these people. Great job to everyone involved in the making of this movie. 10/10 would definitely recommend!

"The Swimmers" is an impressive film that tells the long and arduous journey of the two Syrian sisters Yusra and Sara in opulent images.

From war-torn Damascus to promised Germany, the two young women have to put up with a lot of effort and as a viewer you get a realistic impression of what refugees in this world have to do so that they can see a better future in another country.

The camera is outstanding and the acting is great.

If you want to criticize the film for something, it's that the cause of the war in Syria isn't even addressed. The formerly modern and Western country was catapulted back to the Middle Ages by the influence of Islam, like Iran before it.

Beautiful, deeply moving, and thought-provoking film. The dialogue and performances felt completely authentic. The story was compelling from start to finish. The subject matter is obviously rather awful and it was sometimes painful to watch the suffering of these characters who seemed so real (and in fact were real), yet there was also so much humor and grit and so many moments of unexpected joy that the film never felt bleak. As a lap swimmer (though not a good one), I felt that the director and cinematographer really captured how compelling swimming -- a sport that might seem dull from the outside -- can be. It would be easy for a film like this to be mawkish, or bleak, or overwhelming, or preachy, but it was none of these things. Wonderful film. I hope it wins heaps of oscars.

Two young sisters - Sara (Manal Issa) and Yusra (Nathalie Issa) are obsessed with representing their Syrian nation at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Their father is their coach and their mentor, and he drives them hard - but that might all prove to be for nought when a bomb comes crashing through the roof of their swimming pool and only narrowly avoids killing someone! Scared but determined, the family decide to enlist the help of their charismatic cousin Nizar (Ahmed Malek) and armed with some borrowed cash try to get from their home to Germany where they hope to find safety and continue their training. Thing is, they have no papers so after a brief flight to Istanbul, find themselves in the hands of the people smugglers who care little for their safety. Much of this interesting film is quite tough to watch, as it depicts the efforts of the three to beat the elements and the authorities to reach their goal - at times at quite considerable risk to themselves. It's all based on a true story so there is no actual jeopardy to their journey, but it is illustrative of just how perilous the whole process is; of how venal and exploitative some people can be of those in life-threatening predicaments and also of just how persevering the human spirit can be when faced with seemingly insurmountable odds. It features a fine supporting effort from "Sven" (Matthias Schweighöfer) and offers us quite a well produced and paced observation on just how these two girls got through their ordeal. The photography is frequently intimate and that sometimes exposes us to the character traits of the girls that are less attractive to the viewer - but somehow that added to the authenticity of this compelling dramatisation that defiantly opens the eyes!

Had the privilege to attend the European premier of the movie which will come to Netflix on 23rd of November. The movie is a very nicely paced dramatization of an amazing human achievement and story, it's amazing because of the nature how far they came along and its amazingly human because they've did it sheerly as human beings nothing more. You could even profanely say as "superheroes" to quote the movie directly. Nothing super fancy directing and editing here, just purely nice narration and sequencing of events dramatization and this is being done nicely by the director Sally El Hosaini. But the real magic and chemistry lies between the two lead actresses Manal and Nathalie Issa who are siblings in real life as well not just on the screen; this chemistry between them gives you the passionate punch which delivers effectively indeed. This movie is definitely an underdog testament, a very good one.

There's something truly inspiring about beating seemingly impossible odds, accomplishments that stir our emotions and may even produce a significant adrenalin rush. Such are the feelings evoked in writer-director Sally El Hosaini's new fact-based chronicle about a pair of sisters (Nathalie Issa, Manal Issa) who fled war-torn Syria as refugees to find their way to sanctuary in Germany. But, if that weren't enough in itself, the younger sibling - a lifetime competitive swimmer - managed to land a spot on the Refugee Olympic Team to compete in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro games. While this BAFTA Award nominee for Best British Film runs a little long (especially in the depiction of the sisters' flight to freedom), the picture nevertheless shines a bright light on the global refugee crisis (and not just among those fleeing Syria) and what's attainable when we set our minds to it. This Netflix offering certainly delivers an uplifting message, as well as a candid look at sibling relationships and how they evolve over time. Admittedly, the picture tends to be somewhat formulaic at times, but its compelling story and creative cinematography do much to sell the film as a genuine crowd-pleaser, one that's particularly empowering to girls, young women and those who dare to dream big in the face of potentially insurmountable challenges.

One of the movies you will never forget... This film. Goin to stay withme forever!

Very important film, raising awareness for what Syrian rifugees, and specifically women refugees, experienced while escaping the horrible war in Syria All while being artisitic and touching in a brilliant way!!

Based on real story, all the characters have some real depth, the events are extremely unpredictable, it gives in depth insights into the heart-breaking experiences of refugees, on a level so interpersonal and touching. The dictor and the actors did fantastic job!!!

An absolute must watch! Amazing! Brilliant!!

An absolute must watch! Amazing! Brilliant!!

An absolute must watch! Amazing! Brilliant!!

DRAMA/ ADVENTURE

Co-written and directed by Sally El Hosaini with the movie based on fact of "The Swimmers" as the movie is called, is reference to two close-knit Syrian sisters of Yusra Mardini (Nathalie Issa) and her older sibling, Sara Mardini(Manal Issa) aspirations to become professional swimmers in the Olympics. Except that from the start of 2015 is when war began to hit their peaceful region putting their lives and everyone around them in jeopardy. Giving their dad, they both call Baba (Ali Suliman) to allow them to go on this journey with it's goal was to reach Germany. They do this with the help of their DJ cousin, Nizar (Ahmid Malik) before trekking with a group of other refugees that have similar situations from other countries and regions.

The summary on Netflix just mentioned that it's an award winning movie so I didn't know that it was based or inspired by a true story. And when I found out, I was in both in awe of these 2 sisters and the other refugees for having gone through this, and angry that there were so many people who would take advantage of them and make a profit off of them. The way that the smugglers took their money and left them to fend for themselves or stranded really upset me but it's reality for these refugees who are trying to flee their country for a better and safer life.

I liked the pacing of the movie and I was so glad when they finally reached Berlin together. And when the swimming coach gave Yusra a chance, that was when the tone of the movie became lighter and there was a lot more hope in the characters. Overall, a good movie and an eye opener to what refugees go through.