The Swimmers - True Story Of Yusra Mardini Who Escaped From Syria & Fulfilled Her Olympic Dream
Privilege - a single word that carries so much weight but most of us refuse to acknowledge it in our daily life. It’s only some instances that make us ponder upon how blessed or lucky we actually are to have basic amenities like food, water, safe shelter over our heads and the means to afford certain luxuries.
The Swimmers is a harrowing story based on real life that made me sit back and reflect about life in general.?
Revolving around a 17-year-old Syrian girl Yusra Mardini and her sister, 20-year-old Sara Mardini, it is a tale of two sisters who are on a mission to find a stable land for themselves and their family who reside in the war-stricken country of Syria. The extremes that these young girls face to meet their goal is something that can rattle even the boldest of the bold-hearted.?
Anyone who keeps himself/herself updated with current affairs knows the situation that has been ongoing in Syria for years. Amid the ongoing civil war, two sisters decide to not let fate decide their future. Instead, they chose to make their dreams a reality and do so on their own terms. Before Syria broke into a full-scaled war with the government clashing with dissidents with no holds-barred, the Mardini sisters led a normal life where they studied, partied with friends, undertook swimming lessons with their father as their coach.?
With tension rising in their area, Sara convinces her family that they need to take asylum in Europe and the only way to do so is if the two sisters along with their cousin Nizar embark on a journey to Germany just like some of their friends did. Post that, they would apply for family reunification which would allow the rest of their family to join them as Yusra has still not entered adulthood.?
During the course of their journey which included a plane trip to Turkey and then undertaking illegal measures to get smuggled across the border, in order to seek asylum, we witness their heart-wrenching ordeal including a journey on a overloaded dingy(inflated makeshift boat) which almost sank in the middle of the sea!
To save their fellow refugees, the two sisters dived into the water to prevent it from sinking and swam for over three hours in the Aegean Sea and dragged the dingy which carried mothers and children among others.
It took them 25 days and lots of battles to reach Germany. Post which, Yusra was even more determined to continue chasing her Olympic dream. She didn’t wait for things to align. Instead she coaxed Coach Sven to take her under his wing and ended up representing the Refugee Olympic Team at the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games!
Meanwhile, Sara decided to give up swimming and switch focus. After undergoing such a plight, she started volunteering in Greece to help refugees like her make safe passage across the sea.
The real and reel story aren’t very far away from each other as the sisters were involved in the production.?
The Mardinis did find their happy ending but not before undertaking a perilous journey.?
The Swimmers make for such a satisfying watch that you find yourself cheering for the characters as if they are known to you. It also sheds light on the refugee crisis which is relevant in today's time.?
Their wins will make you happy and their tough times will make you distraught. It’s safe to say that this film will leave you giddy.
People on the internet cannot stop raving about the film. Check it out:
(To read more such stories related to movies and shows released on OTTs, keep reading?Indiatimes BINGE)
