Now streaming on Netflix is The Swimmers by Director Sally El Hosaini
The Swimmers tells the true story of Syrian sisters Yusra and Sara Mardini. Professional swimmers with Olympic aspirations, they had to flee their home country due to the civil war. Their perilous journey to Europe and the challenges of building up a new life once they arrive in Germany is poignantly told. Yet the heavy theme is interspersed with small uplifting moments and triumphs, about the strong bonds between sisters and overcoming struggles to achieve your dreams.
Though the cheesy uplifting music is unnecessary, and the lack of character depth a shame, overall the movie does a great job at presenting the human side of this catastrophe. While watching this movie one cannot help but feel embarrassed about the horrors of this humanitarian crisis that is still ongoing to this day, while you see the sisters make it to Europe, and eventually to the Olympics. While Europe is easily prepared to spend millions of euros for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, the disregard for the humanitarian disaster at its borders throws a shameful shade on this continent.
Similarly, the real life story of what happened to the sisters after their flight is abject. Yusra Mardini went on to pursue her professional swimming career, and also became an ambassador for UNHCR. But her sister Sara turned back to Lesbos to help refugees with an NGO. Eventually she was arrested by the Greek authorities with charges of human trafficking. She and her colleagues were released on bail, but are now awaiting the new trial which could have them face 25 years of jail. Similar cases are happening regularly, such as Dutch journalist Ingeborg Beugel, who, living on Hydra, took one refugee in her house and cared for him. She was arrested too and facing conviction. That showing solidarity to refugees is becoming a criminal act shows an absurd lack of empathy of authorities.
The movie illustrates perfectly the intense and harrowing journey and all the tribes and tribulations of just 2 people, and make you realize by the fellow refugees they meet along the way that there are literally thousands of people suffering this very same tragedy. This year the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) published that never before have so many people become refugees. At the end of 2021, 89.3 million people were forced to flee their homes. As wars continue to erupt and rage one and the climate crisis will cause even more refugees, the need to act accordingly and humanly becomes ever more pressing.
Watch the official Netflix trailer on YouTube
