New Netflix production The Swimmers tells the remarkable true story of two Syrian sisters who defied the odds and fled a war-torn nation to experience great success, leading the younger of the two to the Olympic Games in Rio. To mark the film’s release we had the pleasure of speaking to real-life sisters Manal and Nathalie Issa, who play the aforementioned siblings, as well as German actor Matthias Schweighöfer, and writer/director Sally El Hosaini. Be sure to watch both interviews in their entirety below as we delve into this powerfully pertinent, yet hopeful drama, looking into the themes explored, and the profound impact this film has.
Manal Issa, Nathalie Issa & Matthias Schweighöfer
Sally El Hosaini
Synopsis
Two Syrian sisters flee their war-torn home in Damascus, swim for hours in choppy Mediterranean seas to reach Greece as asylum seekers before going on to compete at the Rio Olympic Games.
The Swimmers is released in cinemas on November 11th & launches on Netflix on November 23rd
