His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, and His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance, United Arab Emirates, opened the tenth annual Global Citizen Forum to hundreds of international delegates, with an agenda focused on impactful climate change action.
In partnership with the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (Raktda), and Rak Properties, the Global Citizen Forum’s second instalment in the ‘Butterfly Effect’ trilogy, Earth Age, opened its doors on Wednesday 6th December. Anticipation had long been building as people witnessed the giant white dome installed on the beach to serve as the main stage for the Forum. The first day focused on experiences that brought the concept of global citizenship to life, with a charity gala and dinner bringing the night to a close. The second day saw the start of the Annual Summit,...
In partnership with the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (Raktda), and Rak Properties, the Global Citizen Forum’s second instalment in the ‘Butterfly Effect’ trilogy, Earth Age, opened its doors on Wednesday 6th December. Anticipation had long been building as people witnessed the giant white dome installed on the beach to serve as the main stage for the Forum. The first day focused on experiences that brought the concept of global citizenship to life, with a charity gala and dinner bringing the night to a close. The second day saw the start of the Annual Summit,...
- 12/14/2023
- Look to the Stars
Janyl Jusupjan’s documentary focuses on a young woman getting involved in the male-dominated horseback sport Buzkashi.
Cologne-based sales outfit New Docs has taken world rights to Atirkül In The Land of Real Men, a film receiving its international premiere in IDFA’s Luminous section later this week.
Directed by Janyl Jusupjan, the Czech-produced documentary looks at Buzkashi, a highly popular horseback sport in Kyrgyzstan. The goal is to steal a dead goat from the rival team of riders without being knocked out of the saddle. The film’s main protagonist is a young woman Atirkül, bored with her husband...
Cologne-based sales outfit New Docs has taken world rights to Atirkül In The Land of Real Men, a film receiving its international premiere in IDFA’s Luminous section later this week.
Directed by Janyl Jusupjan, the Czech-produced documentary looks at Buzkashi, a highly popular horseback sport in Kyrgyzstan. The goal is to steal a dead goat from the rival team of riders without being knocked out of the saddle. The film’s main protagonist is a young woman Atirkül, bored with her husband...
- 11/8/2023
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
During “Polite Society,” writer-director Nida Manzoor’s boisterous, shrewdly funny and altogether wonderful coming-of-age action-adventure, you might try to recall the last time you’ve seen a young female on the big screen with as much fire in her belly as Ria. Was it the football-loving and tradition defying Jess in “Bend it Like Beckham,” the precocious rebel Marjane in “Persepolis,” the all-female trash metal stars of the recent documentary “Sirens” or the real-life Syrian sisters Yusra and Sarah Mardini in “Swimmers”?
While the lead Pakistani character of “Polite Society”—a die-hard martial arts enthusiast played by a fierce Priya Kansara—isn’t an existing hero based on a real-life story of courage, her defiant spirit is so lovingly and precisely defined by Manzoor that you unreservedly believe in her when Ria claims: “I am the fury!”
Also Read:
2023 Movie Release Dates: A Schedule of Films Coming This Year
Okay,...
While the lead Pakistani character of “Polite Society”—a die-hard martial arts enthusiast played by a fierce Priya Kansara—isn’t an existing hero based on a real-life story of courage, her defiant spirit is so lovingly and precisely defined by Manzoor that you unreservedly believe in her when Ria claims: “I am the fury!”
Also Read:
2023 Movie Release Dates: A Schedule of Films Coming This Year
Okay,...
- 4/27/2023
- by Tomris Laffly
- The Wrap
Good news: Mo has been renewed for a second season at Netflix.
Bad news: Season 2 will be its last.
More from TVLineReese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher Team on Netflix's Your Place or Mine -- Watch Rom-Com TrailerSAG Awards 2023: Ozark's Final Season Leads TV Nominations -- See Full ListGolden Globes: Dahmer's Evan Peters Wins Best Actor in a Limited Series
The streaming giant has renewed the critically acclaimed series for a final season, TVLine has learned. The news comes nearly five months after the release of Season 1, which dropped in its entirety on Aug. 24.
The bittersweet announcement comes...
Bad news: Season 2 will be its last.
More from TVLineReese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher Team on Netflix's Your Place or Mine -- Watch Rom-Com TrailerSAG Awards 2023: Ozark's Final Season Leads TV Nominations -- See Full ListGolden Globes: Dahmer's Evan Peters Wins Best Actor in a Limited Series
The streaming giant has renewed the critically acclaimed series for a final season, TVLine has learned. The news comes nearly five months after the release of Season 1, which dropped in its entirety on Aug. 24.
The bittersweet announcement comes...
- 1/12/2023
- by Ryan Schwartz
- TVLine.com
“Mo” has been renewed for Season 2 at Netflix, which will also be the show’s final season, Variety has learned. The single-camera comedy debuted its first season on the streaming service in August 2022.
“I’m thankful to continue to tell a universal story of struggle that relates to so many refugees and millions of under-represented humans trying to be seen around the globe and to be able to bring the people who loved and rooted for Mo Najjar along for the ride as we close this chapter of his story,” said Mo Amer, series star, co-creator, and executive producer.
Amer stars as a fictionalized version of himself in the show. Per the official synopsis, “Mo Najjar straddles the line between two cultures, three languages and a ton of bulls–t as a Palestinian refugee living one step away from obtaining asylum in the U.S. His family — including his resilient...
“I’m thankful to continue to tell a universal story of struggle that relates to so many refugees and millions of under-represented humans trying to be seen around the globe and to be able to bring the people who loved and rooted for Mo Najjar along for the ride as we close this chapter of his story,” said Mo Amer, series star, co-creator, and executive producer.
Amer stars as a fictionalized version of himself in the show. Per the official synopsis, “Mo Najjar straddles the line between two cultures, three languages and a ton of bulls–t as a Palestinian refugee living one step away from obtaining asylum in the U.S. His family — including his resilient...
- 1/12/2023
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Netflix has renewed Mo for Season 2,. It will be the praised comedy series last, brining Mo Najjar’s journey for asylum to a conclusion.
Co-created and executive produced by Mo Amer, who stars in the titular role, and Ramy Youssef, Mo is inspired by Amer’s life. It follows Mo Najjar (Amer), who straddles the line between two cultures, three languages and a ton of bullsh*t as a Palestinian refugee living one step away from obtaining asylum in the U.S. His family — including his resilient mother and hilariously unfiltered brother — flee to Houston, Texas. Mo deftly adapts to his new world, but it’s tough to get ahead when you’re tied up in red tape.
“I’m thankful to continue to tell a universal story of struggle that relates to so many refugees and millions of under-represented humans trying to be seen around the globe and...
Co-created and executive produced by Mo Amer, who stars in the titular role, and Ramy Youssef, Mo is inspired by Amer’s life. It follows Mo Najjar (Amer), who straddles the line between two cultures, three languages and a ton of bullsh*t as a Palestinian refugee living one step away from obtaining asylum in the U.S. His family — including his resilient mother and hilariously unfiltered brother — flee to Houston, Texas. Mo deftly adapts to his new world, but it’s tough to get ahead when you’re tied up in red tape.
“I’m thankful to continue to tell a universal story of struggle that relates to so many refugees and millions of under-represented humans trying to be seen around the globe and...
- 1/12/2023
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Mo Amer took inspiration from his own life for his Netflix comedy series Mo, co-created by Ramy Youssef, which follows a Palestinian refugee seeking asylum and U.S. citizenship in Houston. The series premiered in August on the streamer and quickly received acclaim for being one of the first American TV series to feature a Palestinian-American refugee protagonist. It also scored a Gotham Award for Breakthrough Series Under 40 Minutes.
Related Story Stand-Up Comedian Mo Amer Talks Career And Potential Second Season Of Netflix Comedy ‘Mo’: "Ask Netflix I Don’t Know What’s Going On" — Red Sea Film Festival Related Story Oscar-Contending Short 'The Elephant Whisperers' Centers On Indigenous Indian Couple And Their Sizeable Family Related Story 'Harry and Meghan': Duke Of Sussex Claims Palace Issued Joint False Statement & Says William "Screamed And Shouted" At Him
The first episode, titled “Hamoodi,” is the latest installment of It Starts on the Page,...
Related Story Stand-Up Comedian Mo Amer Talks Career And Potential Second Season Of Netflix Comedy ‘Mo’: "Ask Netflix I Don’t Know What’s Going On" — Red Sea Film Festival Related Story Oscar-Contending Short 'The Elephant Whisperers' Centers On Indigenous Indian Couple And Their Sizeable Family Related Story 'Harry and Meghan': Duke Of Sussex Claims Palace Issued Joint False Statement & Says William "Screamed And Shouted" At Him
The first episode, titled “Hamoodi,” is the latest installment of It Starts on the Page,...
- 12/15/2022
- by Katie Campione
- Deadline Film + TV
Writer and stand-up comedian Mo Amer was the latest Hollywood name to pass through Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea film festival Wednesday where he discussed his varied career as part of the festival’s ‘In Conversation’ series and the potential of a second season of his well-received Netflix comedy Mo.
Amer, who is also known for his role in the popular Hulu/A24 comedy Ramy, wrote, produced, and stars in Mo, which is inspired by his own life story. The show follows a fictional Palestinian refugee who flees Kuwait with his mother, Yusra, and brother Sameer after the start of the Gulf War. The family finally lands in Houston, Texas, where they start the years-long business of securing asylum.
The show debuted on the streamer in August and quickly became one of the year’s breakouts, picking up a Gotham Award for Breakthrough Series Under 40 Minutes. When asked whether a...
Amer, who is also known for his role in the popular Hulu/A24 comedy Ramy, wrote, produced, and stars in Mo, which is inspired by his own life story. The show follows a fictional Palestinian refugee who flees Kuwait with his mother, Yusra, and brother Sameer after the start of the Gulf War. The family finally lands in Houston, Texas, where they start the years-long business of securing asylum.
The show debuted on the streamer in August and quickly became one of the year’s breakouts, picking up a Gotham Award for Breakthrough Series Under 40 Minutes. When asked whether a...
- 12/7/2022
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Shekar Kapur says “winds need to change” in international film industry cultural dynamics.
US director Oliver Stone spoke out in support of Saudi Arabia at the opening ceremony of the second Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah on Thursday night (December 1).
Attending the festival as the president of the international jury, Stone said the country is “much misunderstood in the present world – people who have judged too harshly should come and visit to see for themselves”, to applause from the room. He also noted “changes” and “reforms” that he feels are making the nation a more hospitable place to visit.
US director Oliver Stone spoke out in support of Saudi Arabia at the opening ceremony of the second Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah on Thursday night (December 1).
Attending the festival as the president of the international jury, Stone said the country is “much misunderstood in the present world – people who have judged too harshly should come and visit to see for themselves”, to applause from the room. He also noted “changes” and “reforms” that he feels are making the nation a more hospitable place to visit.
- 12/1/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
When thinking about festival openers, “The Swimmers” departs so much from Arab Film Festival’s opening film, “The Blue Caftan.” Maryam Touzani’s cinematic love triangle between a dying woman, her closeted tailor husband, and his assistant is achingly intimate. She aptly set up the Aff’s own LGBTQ focus this year, opening up the festival to the many complexities that come with queer romance. “The Swimmers,” on the other hand, is more visibly Hollywood-esque. This based-on-true-events fiction film opened TIFF earlier this year, played at Aff last week, and is gearing up for its US Netflix debut on Wednesday. Perhaps the latter deal has influenced the film’s own production, compressing it into a legible story for Euro-American audiences. Fitting of a streaming-only movie, “The Swimmers” repackages a harrowing refugee story into easily-digestible content, ready to be consumed at home.
The Swimmers is screening at...
The Swimmers is screening at...
- 11/25/2022
- by Grace Han
- AsianMoviePulse
On 18 March 2011, protests in Syria came to a violent head after peaceful demonstrators in the southwestern city of Daraa were fired at by armed forces. Three people were killed. That month marked the beginning of a brutal, multi-sided civil war that has since displaced more than 13 million people. Yusra Mardini is one of those people.
Mardini was 13 years old and living in the capital of Damascus when war broke out in her home country. Before then, she had enjoyed a regular life. She spent time with her family and partied with friends on the city’s rooftops. She also swam competitively. Four years after the fighting erupted, Mardini, aged just 17, and her sister, Sara, left for Germany to flee the continuous and indiscriminate violence that blighted their home.
When the motor of the rubber dinghy carrying them and 16 other refugees suddenly stopped in the middle of the Aegean Sea, Sara...
Mardini was 13 years old and living in the capital of Damascus when war broke out in her home country. Before then, she had enjoyed a regular life. She spent time with her family and partied with friends on the city’s rooftops. She also swam competitively. Four years after the fighting erupted, Mardini, aged just 17, and her sister, Sara, left for Germany to flee the continuous and indiscriminate violence that blighted their home.
When the motor of the rubber dinghy carrying them and 16 other refugees suddenly stopped in the middle of the Aegean Sea, Sara...
- 11/24/2022
- by Furvah Shah
- The Independent - Film
The Swimmers is a 2022 biographical drama movie directed by Sally El Hosaini starring Manal Issa and Nathalie Issa.
A powerful movie in its sincerity. It is impossible not be moved by this film that tells a story of the incredible strength and resilience of its protagonists. With its social-realism and documentary techniques in some sequences, it shows us the harshness of the reality of many, as well as giving us a beautiful story about resilience.
Premise
Two heroic young sisters set out on a voyage that will require resilience and conviction. They leave behind a war-torn Syria, intent on proving to the world their swimming skills they are selected to compete in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The Swimmers (2022) Movie Review
A movie that counts on a potent screenplay that is well developed providing us not only the story the two brave sisters, but also a good depiction of the context they...
A powerful movie in its sincerity. It is impossible not be moved by this film that tells a story of the incredible strength and resilience of its protagonists. With its social-realism and documentary techniques in some sequences, it shows us the harshness of the reality of many, as well as giving us a beautiful story about resilience.
Premise
Two heroic young sisters set out on a voyage that will require resilience and conviction. They leave behind a war-torn Syria, intent on proving to the world their swimming skills they are selected to compete in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The Swimmers (2022) Movie Review
A movie that counts on a potent screenplay that is well developed providing us not only the story the two brave sisters, but also a good depiction of the context they...
- 11/23/2022
- by Veronica Loop
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
This review originally ran September 8, 2022, in conjunction with the film’s premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The last decade has seen a plethora of movies about the crisis in Syria, most of them hard-hitting documentaries tracking the brutal effects of the war and the plight of those who’ve left and those who’ve stayed. At the same time, there’s never been a shortage of inspirational sports films where plucky athletes overcome obstacles to realize their dreams.
But “The Swimmers,” which opened the Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday, is a rare mixture of the two: It’s an inspirational sports movie about a pair of Syrian swimmers, sisters Yusra and Sara Mardini, who fled from their home in Damascus during the Syrian civil war in 2015 to Europe, where they might have a chance to advance their athletic careers and swim in the 2016 Olympic Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro.
The last decade has seen a plethora of movies about the crisis in Syria, most of them hard-hitting documentaries tracking the brutal effects of the war and the plight of those who’ve left and those who’ve stayed. At the same time, there’s never been a shortage of inspirational sports films where plucky athletes overcome obstacles to realize their dreams.
But “The Swimmers,” which opened the Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday, is a rare mixture of the two: It’s an inspirational sports movie about a pair of Syrian swimmers, sisters Yusra and Sara Mardini, who fled from their home in Damascus during the Syrian civil war in 2015 to Europe, where they might have a chance to advance their athletic careers and swim in the 2016 Olympic Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro.
- 11/22/2022
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
True stories are always the best stories when it comes to inspirational and uplifting tales. Everyone loves an underdog. The new film The Swimmers is both a triumphant tale of underdogs but also works as a sports film as well as a political look at the refugee crisis around the world. By taking us on a journey of two sisters, Yusra Mardini and Sara Mardini, as they travel from their home in war-torn Syria to Greece and all the way to Germany, this film evokes a powerful and breathtaking tale of survival and turns it into an emotional rollercoaster.
The Swimmers tells the true story of two women whose journey diverged once they became refugees. But, the journey of Yusra from competitive swimmer all the way to the 2016 Rio Olympics is a wonderful tale that has to be seen to be believed. Director Dally El Hosaini masterfully blends the real...
The Swimmers tells the true story of two women whose journey diverged once they became refugees. But, the journey of Yusra from competitive swimmer all the way to the 2016 Rio Olympics is a wonderful tale that has to be seen to be believed. Director Dally El Hosaini masterfully blends the real...
- 11/22/2022
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
Plot: Based on a true story, follows the journey from war-torn Syria to the 2016 Rio Olympics. Two young sisters embark on a harrowing journey as refugees, putting both their hearts and champion swimming skills to heroic use.
Review: I will be honest and say I was jaded going into The Swimmers. Countless films have been made over the years about characters facing adversity in the form of war, abuse, and crime as well as underdog tales about athletes overcoming insurmountable odds to reach the pinnacle of their sport. In both cases, movies about either story have a tendency to be overwrought or disingenuous. Sally El Hosaini’s The Swimmers is neither of those things. Managing to bridge both narratives to tell a refugee story that is also a sports movie, this film is as inspiring as it is gut-wrenching as it makes you cheer for the characters to persevere against...
Review: I will be honest and say I was jaded going into The Swimmers. Countless films have been made over the years about characters facing adversity in the form of war, abuse, and crime as well as underdog tales about athletes overcoming insurmountable odds to reach the pinnacle of their sport. In both cases, movies about either story have a tendency to be overwrought or disingenuous. Sally El Hosaini’s The Swimmers is neither of those things. Managing to bridge both narratives to tell a refugee story that is also a sports movie, this film is as inspiring as it is gut-wrenching as it makes you cheer for the characters to persevere against...
- 11/22/2022
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
Marrakech – Director Sally El Hosaini, whose Working Title-produced “The Swimmers” opened the Toronto Film Festival, is turning her attention to one of the biggest mass murder-suicide stories in history with her forthcoming project “Jones.”
The Welsh-Egyptian director, who recently signed with CAA, told Variety at the Marrakech Film Festival that she began working on the film before making her current feature, “The Swimmers,” but is now rebooting the project towards production. “The Swimmers” is playing at the Marrakech International Film Festival this week.
El Hosaini is casting new light on the story which, she said, has been misunderstood. She has acquired the life rights from Jim Jones’ surviving son, Stephan Jones, she said.
“It’s a very misunderstood chapter in American history,” she says. “People label Jim Jones as a Charles Manson type of character from that era, but if the history had stopped in 1976/7, at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The...
The Welsh-Egyptian director, who recently signed with CAA, told Variety at the Marrakech Film Festival that she began working on the film before making her current feature, “The Swimmers,” but is now rebooting the project towards production. “The Swimmers” is playing at the Marrakech International Film Festival this week.
El Hosaini is casting new light on the story which, she said, has been misunderstood. She has acquired the life rights from Jim Jones’ surviving son, Stephan Jones, she said.
“It’s a very misunderstood chapter in American history,” she says. “People label Jim Jones as a Charles Manson type of character from that era, but if the history had stopped in 1976/7, at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The...
- 11/19/2022
- by Liza Foreman
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has debuted the trailer for Sally El Hosaini’s ‘The Swimmers.’
Based on a true story, The story follows the journey from war-torn Syria to the 2016 Rio Olympics. Two young sisters embark on a harrowing journey as refugees, putting both their hearts and champion swimming skills to heroic use.
Directed by Sally El Hosaini, the film stars Nathalie Issa (Yusra), Manal Issa (Sara), Matthias Schweighöfer (Sven), Ahmed Malek (Nizar), James Krishna Floyd (Emad), Nahel Tzegai (Shada) and Kinda Alloush (Mervat) with Ali Suliman (Ezzat).
Also in trailers – “You’re supposed to be in rehab…” Sheridan Smith stars in trailer for ‘Rosie Molloy Gives Up Everything’
The film hits select cinemas on November 11 and on Netflix from November 23rd.
The post Trailer lands for Sally El Hosaini’s ‘The Swimmers’ appeared first on HeyUGuys.
Based on a true story, The story follows the journey from war-torn Syria to the 2016 Rio Olympics. Two young sisters embark on a harrowing journey as refugees, putting both their hearts and champion swimming skills to heroic use.
Directed by Sally El Hosaini, the film stars Nathalie Issa (Yusra), Manal Issa (Sara), Matthias Schweighöfer (Sven), Ahmed Malek (Nizar), James Krishna Floyd (Emad), Nahel Tzegai (Shada) and Kinda Alloush (Mervat) with Ali Suliman (Ezzat).
Also in trailers – “You’re supposed to be in rehab…” Sheridan Smith stars in trailer for ‘Rosie Molloy Gives Up Everything’
The film hits select cinemas on November 11 and on Netflix from November 23rd.
The post Trailer lands for Sally El Hosaini’s ‘The Swimmers’ appeared first on HeyUGuys.
- 11/2/2022
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
"Swim for me, for everyone who died trying to find a new life. Swim for all of us." Netflix has debuted the full trailer for The Swimmers, a true story movie made by a Welsh-Egyptian filmmaker named Sally El-Hosaini. This already premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last month, and will be out on Netflix later this month. From war-torn Syria to the 2016 Rio Olympics, two sisters embark on a harrowing journey as refugees, putting both their hearts and champion swimming skills to heroic use. Based on the true story of the miraculous journey made by swimming sisters Yusra & Sarah Mardini who fled as refugees from war-torn Syria all the way to the 2016 Rio Olympics. Starring Nathalie Issa (as Yusra) and Manal Issa (as Sara) as the two sisters, plus Matthias Schweighöfer, Ahmed Malek, James Krishna Floyd, Nahel Tzegai, with Kinda Alloush and Ali Suliman. Worth a watch! This really does look like a remarkable,...
- 11/1/2022
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
It was the swimming prowess of Syrian sisters Yusra and Sara Mardini that helped their sinking refugee boat make it to Greece in 2015. Here Yusra talks about The Swimmers, the new film that tells their amazing story
Halfway across the Aegean Sea, the motor on the boat carrying sisters Sara and Yusra Mardini away from war-torn Syria suddenly stalled. They had boarded the leaky rubber dinghy, designed to carry seven people, with 18 other refugees determined to make the journey from the Turkish coast to Europe, via Greece. As the overcrowded boat started to take on water, Sara knew that they had to reduce the weight onboard. Clinging to a rope, she leapt into the sea, closely followed by Yusra. The young sisters then spent three hours swimming alongside the boat, icy waves slapping them in the face. Incredibly the boat made it to the Greek island of Lesbos. All of the passengers survived.
Halfway across the Aegean Sea, the motor on the boat carrying sisters Sara and Yusra Mardini away from war-torn Syria suddenly stalled. They had boarded the leaky rubber dinghy, designed to carry seven people, with 18 other refugees determined to make the journey from the Turkish coast to Europe, via Greece. As the overcrowded boat started to take on water, Sara knew that they had to reduce the weight onboard. Clinging to a rope, she leapt into the sea, closely followed by Yusra. The young sisters then spent three hours swimming alongside the boat, icy waves slapping them in the face. Incredibly the boat made it to the Greek island of Lesbos. All of the passengers survived.
- 10/8/2022
- by Alice O'Keeffe
- The Guardian - Film News
Today, Hulu debuted the third season of Ramy, the wonderful dramedy co-created by and starring comedian Ramy Youssef as a Muslim-American man struggling to reconcile his faith with his fondness for forbidden activities like sex, porn, and drugs. It’s been two and a half years since we last saw Ramy, but Youssef was not exactly idle during the long pandemic hiatus. In addition to writing or co-writing all 10 episodes of the new season and directing most of them, he co-created a whole other series about being young, reckless, and...
- 9/30/2022
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Rollingstone.com
by Matt St Clair
In an early sequence from The Swimmers, we see both sisters Yusra and Sara Mardini jamming to “Titanium” by Sia. As they’re happily move on the dance floor in slow motion, the camera pans over to the escalating warfare happening in the background. That one scene is perfectly emblematic of the movie’s overall point of view. We watch these two real-life sisters persevere and maintained hope no matter the crises surrounding them...
In an early sequence from The Swimmers, we see both sisters Yusra and Sara Mardini jamming to “Titanium” by Sia. As they’re happily move on the dance floor in slow motion, the camera pans over to the escalating warfare happening in the background. That one scene is perfectly emblematic of the movie’s overall point of view. We watch these two real-life sisters persevere and maintained hope no matter the crises surrounding them...
- 9/17/2022
- by Matt St.Clair
- FilmExperience
On Thursday evening The Swimmers received a four minute standing ovation after its premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.
This soaring epic dramatizes the true story of two sisters who left their home in war-torn Syria for a new life in Europe — and the chance to compete in the 2016 Summer Olympics.
An epic adventure drawn from the most pressing of global stories, The Swimmers tells the remarkable true tale of sisters Yusra and Sara Mardini, who fled their home in war-torn Damascus to seek a new life in Europe and earn the chance to compete in the Olympics. Directed by Sally El Hosaini (My Brother the Devil) and written by Jack Thorne (TIFF ’19’s The Aeronauts), this is a moving story of two young women refugees, and their inspiring reach for a better life.
The Hollywood Reporter’s Etan Vlessing writes: “It’s an inspirational story,” director El-Hosaini said...
This soaring epic dramatizes the true story of two sisters who left their home in war-torn Syria for a new life in Europe — and the chance to compete in the 2016 Summer Olympics.
An epic adventure drawn from the most pressing of global stories, The Swimmers tells the remarkable true tale of sisters Yusra and Sara Mardini, who fled their home in war-torn Damascus to seek a new life in Europe and earn the chance to compete in the Olympics. Directed by Sally El Hosaini (My Brother the Devil) and written by Jack Thorne (TIFF ’19’s The Aeronauts), this is a moving story of two young women refugees, and their inspiring reach for a better life.
The Hollywood Reporter’s Etan Vlessing writes: “It’s an inspirational story,” director El-Hosaini said...
- 9/12/2022
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Exclusive: Five days before filmmaker Sally El Hosaini (My Brother the Devil) was ready to declare “Action, background action” on the set of The Swimmers, the film fell apart due to the pandemic. “We just thought it was curtains for the film, which was heartbreaking,” the director recalled. “It just came to a halt, and there could be no promises of anything for anyone.”
The film, which opened the Toronto Film Festival on Thursday night, had been set up at Working Title with backing from Focus Features.
Toronto Film Festival 2022 Photo Gallery: Daniel Radcliffe And Weird Al Yankovic; ‘The Swimmers’, ‘On The Come Up’, ‘Handmaid’s Tale’, More
It already was a bit of a gamble before Covid reared its head. The story of two sisters, Yusra and Sarah Mardini — who left war-torn Syria to make a perilous journey across the Aegean Sea to Eastern Europe, and then, by hook or by crook,...
The film, which opened the Toronto Film Festival on Thursday night, had been set up at Working Title with backing from Focus Features.
Toronto Film Festival 2022 Photo Gallery: Daniel Radcliffe And Weird Al Yankovic; ‘The Swimmers’, ‘On The Come Up’, ‘Handmaid’s Tale’, More
It already was a bit of a gamble before Covid reared its head. The story of two sisters, Yusra and Sarah Mardini — who left war-torn Syria to make a perilous journey across the Aegean Sea to Eastern Europe, and then, by hook or by crook,...
- 9/9/2022
- by Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
In Netflix’s The Swimmers, Nathalie Issa and Manal Issa — Lebanese actors and sisters in real life — play the roles of Yusra and Sara Mardini, swimming sisters who fled Syria as refugees and competed in the pool at the 2016 Rio Olympics. But being cast and finally signing onto their roles was complicated initially by the Issa sisters not knowing how to swim.
“The first time I received the offer for the role, I refused it because I couldn’t swim,” Manal Issa, who plays Sarah Mardini, told a press conference for The Swimmers at the Toronto Film Festival on Friday.
Her sister Nathalie, who plays Yusra Mardini, also shared a phobia about water. “Even when she (Manal) told me about the movie, she said ‘it’s about swimmers.’ I said forget about it. I’m not gonna swim, let me finish my studies,...
In Netflix’s The Swimmers, Nathalie Issa and Manal Issa — Lebanese actors and sisters in real life — play the roles of Yusra and Sara Mardini, swimming sisters who fled Syria as refugees and competed in the pool at the 2016 Rio Olympics. But being cast and finally signing onto their roles was complicated initially by the Issa sisters not knowing how to swim.
“The first time I received the offer for the role, I refused it because I couldn’t swim,” Manal Issa, who plays Sarah Mardini, told a press conference for The Swimmers at the Toronto Film Festival on Friday.
Her sister Nathalie, who plays Yusra Mardini, also shared a phobia about water. “Even when she (Manal) told me about the movie, she said ‘it’s about swimmers.’ I said forget about it. I’m not gonna swim, let me finish my studies,...
- 9/9/2022
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Based on the remarkable true story of Syrian sisters Yusra and Sarah Mardini, "The Swimmers" is a stylish feature film that packs an emotional punch. Directed and co-written by Sally El Hosaini (best known for "My Brother the Devil"), the Netflix movie kicked off the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival — and set the tone for what's sure to be exciting week. This larger-than life movie is a crowd-pleaser.
Alternating between exuberant and exhilarating, heart-warming and horrific, "The Swimmers" is an ambitious picture that tells an almost unbelievable tale of struggle, perseverance, and triumph. Life in Syria changed very drastically in 2011; the film shows sisters Yusra and Sarah Mardini (played by real-life sisters Nathalie and Manal Issa) enjoying a happy, carefree life when the rumblings of civil war first appeared. Four years later, the family's life has been turned upside-down, thanks to the violence overtaking the nation.
"The Swimmers" is drenched (excuse the pun) in feeling.
Alternating between exuberant and exhilarating, heart-warming and horrific, "The Swimmers" is an ambitious picture that tells an almost unbelievable tale of struggle, perseverance, and triumph. Life in Syria changed very drastically in 2011; the film shows sisters Yusra and Sarah Mardini (played by real-life sisters Nathalie and Manal Issa) enjoying a happy, carefree life when the rumblings of civil war first appeared. Four years later, the family's life has been turned upside-down, thanks to the violence overtaking the nation.
"The Swimmers" is drenched (excuse the pun) in feeling.
- 9/9/2022
- by Sarah Milner
- Slash Film
Manal Issa and Nathalie Issa, real life sisters who play a pair of Olympic swimming hopefuls, also sisters, said they weren’t at all aquatic when cast in the Sally El Hosaini film ‘The Swimmers’ that opened TIFF last night.
“Manal and Natalie couldn’t swim when they took the roles,” El Hosaini said at a press conference Friday live streamed on Twitter.
“I was like, ‘forget about it’. I wasn’t going to swim. Let me finish my studies,” said Nathalie. “It was really hard at first. But once you know how to float, it’s really nice, and once you have a goal you want to reach it. It’s how you feel when you are in the water, and how you feel when you want to achieve something” — similar to her character.
Nathalie and Manal play Yusra and Sara Mardini, teenage sisters trying to live as normally as possible in war-torn Syria,...
“Manal and Natalie couldn’t swim when they took the roles,” El Hosaini said at a press conference Friday live streamed on Twitter.
“I was like, ‘forget about it’. I wasn’t going to swim. Let me finish my studies,” said Nathalie. “It was really hard at first. But once you know how to float, it’s really nice, and once you have a goal you want to reach it. It’s how you feel when you are in the water, and how you feel when you want to achieve something” — similar to her character.
Nathalie and Manal play Yusra and Sara Mardini, teenage sisters trying to live as normally as possible in war-torn Syria,...
- 9/9/2022
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Thursday’s death of Queen Elizabeth II dominated the news cycle, but the first day of the Toronto International Film Festival was filled with hope for the future. Introducing opening-night entry “The Swimmers” at the Princess of Wales Theatre, TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey addressed the two pandemic years that disrupted everything.
“It was artists, storytellers, filmmakers, who were finding ways to move us, inspire us, to remind us what we’re living for,” he said. “I want to thank you, the best movie audience in the world, for being part of this experience again.”
That experience takes many forms. The festival is a beacon for awards-season titles as well as red-carpet galas, documentaries, genre films, and international cinema. It’s also a snapshot of how the industry views commercial movies at a most fragile moment.
Netflix launched “The Swimmers,” the rousing-but-familiar true story of sisters Yusra and Sara Mardini (Nathalie...
“It was artists, storytellers, filmmakers, who were finding ways to move us, inspire us, to remind us what we’re living for,” he said. “I want to thank you, the best movie audience in the world, for being part of this experience again.”
That experience takes many forms. The festival is a beacon for awards-season titles as well as red-carpet galas, documentaries, genre films, and international cinema. It’s also a snapshot of how the industry views commercial movies at a most fragile moment.
Netflix launched “The Swimmers,” the rousing-but-familiar true story of sisters Yusra and Sara Mardini (Nathalie...
- 9/9/2022
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Click here to read the full article.
There’s a scene in Sally El-Hosaini’s The Swimmers that was so intense it pushed several of the cast to the point where the production had to take a break. Some were physically sick. “When you see the actors vomiting [in the film], they’re really vomiting,” claims the director.
The scene in question is the most harrowing and difficult to watch of the TIFF curtain-raiser. But it’s the most important one in the whole film. And the reason it exists.
Based on tragically very real-life events, the Working Title/Netflix feature charts the incredible story of Yusra and Sara Mardini, teenage Syrian sisters who fled Damascus in 2015 as the devastating civil war began to creep closer to their home. After reaching Turkey, out of desperation to cross the Aegean Sea to the Greek island of Lesbos, they paid smugglers to board a boat...
There’s a scene in Sally El-Hosaini’s The Swimmers that was so intense it pushed several of the cast to the point where the production had to take a break. Some were physically sick. “When you see the actors vomiting [in the film], they’re really vomiting,” claims the director.
The scene in question is the most harrowing and difficult to watch of the TIFF curtain-raiser. But it’s the most important one in the whole film. And the reason it exists.
Based on tragically very real-life events, the Working Title/Netflix feature charts the incredible story of Yusra and Sara Mardini, teenage Syrian sisters who fled Damascus in 2015 as the devastating civil war began to creep closer to their home. After reaching Turkey, out of desperation to cross the Aegean Sea to the Greek island of Lesbos, they paid smugglers to board a boat...
- 9/9/2022
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
Netflix’s The Swimmers, Sally El-Hosaini’s drama based on the real journey of two young sisters from war-torn Syria to the 2016 Rio Olympics, earned a four-minute standing ovation at the Toronto Film Festival on Thursday night.
And the biggest cheers from the rapturous Toronto audience were for Lebanese actresses and real-life sisters, Manal and Nathalie Issa, who played real-life sisters Yusra and Sarah Mardini as all four young women appeared on stage at Roy Thomson Hall for the film’s world premiere.
“It’s an inspirational story,” director El-Hosaini said during a post-screening Q&a when explaining why she took on the project, as the Toronto festival looks to crowd-pleasing The Swimmers, with its tears and emotional breakthroughs, to possibly be this award season’s Coda, which pulled out a best picture win at last year’s Oscars.
The Swimmers traces the incredible...
Netflix’s The Swimmers, Sally El-Hosaini’s drama based on the real journey of two young sisters from war-torn Syria to the 2016 Rio Olympics, earned a four-minute standing ovation at the Toronto Film Festival on Thursday night.
And the biggest cheers from the rapturous Toronto audience were for Lebanese actresses and real-life sisters, Manal and Nathalie Issa, who played real-life sisters Yusra and Sarah Mardini as all four young women appeared on stage at Roy Thomson Hall for the film’s world premiere.
“It’s an inspirational story,” director El-Hosaini said during a post-screening Q&a when explaining why she took on the project, as the Toronto festival looks to crowd-pleasing The Swimmers, with its tears and emotional breakthroughs, to possibly be this award season’s Coda, which pulled out a best picture win at last year’s Oscars.
The Swimmers traces the incredible...
- 9/9/2022
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“The Swimmers” is inspired by the true story of teenage Olympic athlete and Syrian refugee Yusra Mardini who, in 2015, along with her sister Sara and two others, dragged a boat full of fellow refugees across the Aegean sea. After the girls made it to Germany, Yusra was selected along with ten others to compete with the Refugee Olympic Team at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. Her story is undeniably heroic, which makes the mediocrity of the Netflix film of her life story all the more disappointing.
Director Sally El Hosaini (“My Brother The Devil”) took over the reins from Stephan Daldry, whose 9/11 drama “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” is perhaps an all-time low in well-meaning but ultimately hollow Best Picture nominees.
Continue reading ‘The Swimmers’ Review: Syrian Refugee Drama Is An Overly Orchestrated Crowd-Pleaser [TIFF] at The Playlist.
Director Sally El Hosaini (“My Brother The Devil”) took over the reins from Stephan Daldry, whose 9/11 drama “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” is perhaps an all-time low in well-meaning but ultimately hollow Best Picture nominees.
Continue reading ‘The Swimmers’ Review: Syrian Refugee Drama Is An Overly Orchestrated Crowd-Pleaser [TIFF] at The Playlist.
- 9/9/2022
- by Marya E. Gates
- The Playlist
Click here to read the full article.
Both adversity and triumph are in abundant supply in Sally El Hosaini’s The Swimmers, an undeniably powerful if inescapably episodic drama chronicling the harrowing, real-life flight taken by a pair of sisters from war-ravaged Syria to the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
Ushering in the first business-as-usual edition of the Toronto International Film Festival since 2019, the film’s world premiere should set the stage for a buoyant response ahead of its Nov. 23 Netflix bow — particularly for the performances of the siblings cast as Olympics hopeful Yusra Mardini and her older sister Sara.
Prior to the outbreak of civil war in Syria, the rebellious Sara (Manal Issa) and her studious younger sister Yusra (Nathalie Issa) have been living the life of average teenagers in sun-drenched, suburban Damascus when not swimming competitively under the tutelage of their coach father (Ali Suliman).
But when the growing violence hits too close to home,...
Both adversity and triumph are in abundant supply in Sally El Hosaini’s The Swimmers, an undeniably powerful if inescapably episodic drama chronicling the harrowing, real-life flight taken by a pair of sisters from war-ravaged Syria to the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
Ushering in the first business-as-usual edition of the Toronto International Film Festival since 2019, the film’s world premiere should set the stage for a buoyant response ahead of its Nov. 23 Netflix bow — particularly for the performances of the siblings cast as Olympics hopeful Yusra Mardini and her older sister Sara.
Prior to the outbreak of civil war in Syria, the rebellious Sara (Manal Issa) and her studious younger sister Yusra (Nathalie Issa) have been living the life of average teenagers in sun-drenched, suburban Damascus when not swimming competitively under the tutelage of their coach father (Ali Suliman).
But when the growing violence hits too close to home,...
- 9/9/2022
- by Michael Rechtshaffen
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Toronto International Film Festival started off on a historic day with one of its strongest opening films in years in Sally El Hosaini’s ‘The Swimmers’, but what some audience members will likely remember is the stressful experience of securing their tickets for the Roy Thomson Hall world premiere.
TIFF, which has gone digital again this year via Ticketmaster, has been plagued with ticketing issues all week thanks to a complicated voucher process for public tickets, reports ‘Variety’.
While it was hoped that many of the technical kinks would be ironed out by opening night, this wasn’t the case.
Media outlets, including Variety, that were meant to receive opening night tickets from the film’s studio — in this case, Netflix — didn’t get them in time for the screening due to “technical glitches” and had to be rounded up and escorted to their seats by representatives for the streamer.
TIFF, which has gone digital again this year via Ticketmaster, has been plagued with ticketing issues all week thanks to a complicated voucher process for public tickets, reports ‘Variety’.
While it was hoped that many of the technical kinks would be ironed out by opening night, this wasn’t the case.
Media outlets, including Variety, that were meant to receive opening night tickets from the film’s studio — in this case, Netflix — didn’t get them in time for the screening due to “technical glitches” and had to be rounded up and escorted to their seats by representatives for the streamer.
- 9/9/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
TIFF Kicks Off on Historic Day With ‘Swimmers,’ but Finds Itself in the Deep End With Ticketing Woes
The Toronto International Film Festival kicked off on a historic day with one of its strongest opening films in years in Sally El Hosaini’s “The Swimmers,” but what some audience members will likely remember is the stressful experience of securing their tickets for the Roy Thomson Hall world premiere.
TIFF, which has gone digital again this year via Ticketmaster, has been plagued with ticketing issues all week thanks to a complicated voucher process for public tickets.
While it was hoped that many of the technical kinks would be ironed out by opening night, this wasn’t the case. Media outlets, including Variety, that were meant to receive opening night tickets from the film’s studio — in this case, Netflix — didn’t get them in time for the screening due to “technical glitches” and had to be rounded up and escorted to their seats by representatives for the streamer.
During the festival’s opening ceremony,...
TIFF, which has gone digital again this year via Ticketmaster, has been plagued with ticketing issues all week thanks to a complicated voucher process for public tickets.
While it was hoped that many of the technical kinks would be ironed out by opening night, this wasn’t the case. Media outlets, including Variety, that were meant to receive opening night tickets from the film’s studio — in this case, Netflix — didn’t get them in time for the screening due to “technical glitches” and had to be rounded up and escorted to their seats by representatives for the streamer.
During the festival’s opening ceremony,...
- 9/9/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has a number of high-profile movies coming to the Toronto Film Festival, just as it did at Venice and Telluride, but a less heralded title with no instantly recognizable star names was chosen to open the fest tonight, and The Swimmers may turn out to be a surprise winner for the streamer when it debuts this fall. It certainly reverses the curse of some of TIFF’s less successful opening-nighters.
Ostensibly about a triumphant appearance at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, The Swimmers is really a moving and suspenseful story of the plight of refugees looking for a better life against all odds. The power of this movie is it turns out to be an unlikely underdog sports saga about a couple of Syrian sisters who show remarkable swimming skill in school and who are so impressive they could be Olympic caliber. But before you wonder if this will turn into a waterlogged Rocky,...
Ostensibly about a triumphant appearance at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, The Swimmers is really a moving and suspenseful story of the plight of refugees looking for a better life against all odds. The power of this movie is it turns out to be an unlikely underdog sports saga about a couple of Syrian sisters who show remarkable swimming skill in school and who are so impressive they could be Olympic caliber. But before you wonder if this will turn into a waterlogged Rocky,...
- 9/9/2022
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
At nearly two and a half hours, Netflix’s Syrian migrant drama “The Swimmers” is a long sit that goes to extraordinary efforts — from a treacly score to constant reminders that its protagonists are, you know, swimmers — to try and make you feel good, or at least feel anything. The problem is that , partially through overheated use of the pop-powered anthems of Sia. Who knew that radio-friendly hits like “Titanium” and “Unstoppable” could serve as potent theme songs for a drama about a pair of Syrian sisters who flee their war-bombed homeland for a better life in Europe?
“The Swimmers,” which is written by El Hosaini and Jack Thorne, is based on the true story of the Olympian-anointed Mardini sisters, who left their battle-torn Damascus in 2015 by boat on a treacherous path to Germany, where there’s hope things might be better. The movie, centered on Sara and Yusra, who...
“The Swimmers,” which is written by El Hosaini and Jack Thorne, is based on the true story of the Olympian-anointed Mardini sisters, who left their battle-torn Damascus in 2015 by boat on a treacherous path to Germany, where there’s hope things might be better. The movie, centered on Sara and Yusra, who...
- 9/9/2022
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
At the end of “The Swimmers,” you could be excused for thinking that Syrian refugee Yusra Mardini won an Olympic gold medal. She didn’t. That’s not to detract from everything she and her older sister, Sara, went through to escape the Syrian civil war and reclaim their dreams of competitive swimming. It just means that director Sally El Hosaini and co-writer Jack Thorne didn’t know how else to wrap this inspirational true story, which is ideally suited for one of those 40-minute Oscar-grubbing documentary shorts, in their feel-good Toronto Film Fest opener.
At a bloated 134 minutes, however, your brain may well start to prune, the way fingers do when they spend too much time in water. It’s not enough that co-leads (and real-life sisters) Nathalie and Manal Issa have great chemistry on-screen, or that the plot packs some of the same oomph as last year’s “Flee.
At a bloated 134 minutes, however, your brain may well start to prune, the way fingers do when they spend too much time in water. It’s not enough that co-leads (and real-life sisters) Nathalie and Manal Issa have great chemistry on-screen, or that the plot packs some of the same oomph as last year’s “Flee.
- 9/9/2022
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Not even the death of Queen Elizabeth II could halt the hustle and bustle of another in-person Toronto International Film Festival during the Covid era as throngs lined up for premieres and chomped off food carts on festival row (aka King Street).
However, what did vex festivalgoers in Hogtown was the second year of TIFF’s digital ticketing website via Ticketmaster. Last year it wasn’t a problem given the reduced capacity at TIFF venues and fewer attending out of fear of the pandemic. However, judging by the turnout at Roy Thomson Hall tonight for the fest’s opening film, The Swimmers from Netflix, it wouldn’t be a surprise to hear that TIFF has returned to its pre-pandemic 300K-plus attendance.
Toronto Film Festival 2022 Photo Gallery: ‘The Swimmers’ World Premiere, ‘On The Come Up’, ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ And More
And with great demand, comes great chaos. The TIFF Ticketmaster site...
However, what did vex festivalgoers in Hogtown was the second year of TIFF’s digital ticketing website via Ticketmaster. Last year it wasn’t a problem given the reduced capacity at TIFF venues and fewer attending out of fear of the pandemic. However, judging by the turnout at Roy Thomson Hall tonight for the fest’s opening film, The Swimmers from Netflix, it wouldn’t be a surprise to hear that TIFF has returned to its pre-pandemic 300K-plus attendance.
Toronto Film Festival 2022 Photo Gallery: ‘The Swimmers’ World Premiere, ‘On The Come Up’, ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ And More
And with great demand, comes great chaos. The TIFF Ticketmaster site...
- 9/9/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
“The Swimmers” opens the Toronto Intl. Film Festival and Sally El Hosaini’s true-life drama should give festgoers something to cheer about.
It’s the story of Syrian immigrants Yusra and Sarah Mardini, two normal teenagers in Syria — both are champion swimmers, coached by their father. Both are training for the Olympics — although Yusra more than Sarah, who loves to dance and hang out with her friends. It’s a loving family forced to make a difficult choice to send their daughters on a dangerous journey to seek asylum in Germany as the war intensifies in Syria, for their own good and eventually, that of the rest of the family.
“It’s such an honor to open Toronto and such a perfect place for the film to premiere,” says the filmmaker. The Netflix feature is her second. “Toronto is so diverse and I just feel it’s the right story for that city.
It’s the story of Syrian immigrants Yusra and Sarah Mardini, two normal teenagers in Syria — both are champion swimmers, coached by their father. Both are training for the Olympics — although Yusra more than Sarah, who loves to dance and hang out with her friends. It’s a loving family forced to make a difficult choice to send their daughters on a dangerous journey to seek asylum in Germany as the war intensifies in Syria, for their own good and eventually, that of the rest of the family.
“It’s such an honor to open Toronto and such a perfect place for the film to premiere,” says the filmmaker. The Netflix feature is her second. “Toronto is so diverse and I just feel it’s the right story for that city.
- 9/8/2022
- by Carole Horst
- Variety Film + TV
The people behind “Mo” can say with a perfectly straight face that the new Netflix comedy starts off with guns blazing. Toward the end of the pilot episode, “Hamoodi,” Mo Najjar (Mo Amer) gets caught in a shooting in a grocery store — whether it’s a “mass” shooting ends up being a topic of debate for the EMTs on the scene. Either way, it’s just another damn thing that messes with Mo’s day, and is arguably less (spiritually) damaging than what happens right before, with Mo seeing samples for chocolate-covered hummus (yikes) and convincing the worker giving out the samples that his mom’s homemade olive oil is all you need.
The shooting itself is depicted through off-screen sound and hard cuts that focus the viewer’s eye on little moments of detail, conveying the shock of the situation. But it’s also a little hilarious, too: Those details include the ripped,...
The shooting itself is depicted through off-screen sound and hard cuts that focus the viewer’s eye on little moments of detail, conveying the shock of the situation. But it’s also a little hilarious, too: Those details include the ripped,...
- 9/7/2022
- by Sarah Shachat
- Indiewire
This fall, Arab filmmakers will be out in force at such prestigious international fests as Venice and Toronto. Venice alone boasts six features from first- and second-time Arab directors in its official sections, plus an additional six works-in-progress at its Final Cut Production Bridge. Meanwhile, Toronto opens with “The Swimmers,” a drama from U.K. helmer Sally El Hosaini based on the journey of Syrian sisters and Olympic hopefuls Yusra and Sara Mardini, who fled the war in their home country for Germany. Yusra competed in the 2016 and 2021 Summer Olympics. An additional six Arab films will screen at the Canadian fest.
Dek: Arab filmmakers embrace genres and issues as festivals and distributors take notice
By Alissa Simon
This fall, Arab filmmakers will be out in force at such prestigious international fests as Venice and Toronto. Venice alone boasts six features from first- and second-time Arab directors in its official sections,...
Dek: Arab filmmakers embrace genres and issues as festivals and distributors take notice
By Alissa Simon
This fall, Arab filmmakers will be out in force at such prestigious international fests as Venice and Toronto. Venice alone boasts six features from first- and second-time Arab directors in its official sections,...
- 9/3/2022
- by Alissa Simon
- Variety Film + TV
Ahead of its World Premiere at the 47th Toronto International Film Festival, Netflix has unveiled the official teaser trailer for ‘The Swimmers,’ based on the incredible true story of two young sisters who inspired the world.
The film tells the true story of swimming sisters Yusra and Sarah Mardini’s miraculous journey as refugees from war-torn Syria, all the way to the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Helmed by Welsh Egyptian director/writer, Sally El Hosaini, whose last film My Brother the Devil (2013) premiered at Sundance Film Festival winning the World Cinema Cinematography: Dramatic prize before securing El Hosaini the Best British Newcomer prize at the BFI London Film Festival and Best European Film at Berlinale.
The roles of Yusra and Sarah Mardini are played by Lebanese actresses and real-life sisters, Manal and Nathalie Issa.
Also in trailers – Exclusive: Trailer & poster for ‘It Is In Us All’ starring Cosmo Jarvis
The film launches...
The film tells the true story of swimming sisters Yusra and Sarah Mardini’s miraculous journey as refugees from war-torn Syria, all the way to the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Helmed by Welsh Egyptian director/writer, Sally El Hosaini, whose last film My Brother the Devil (2013) premiered at Sundance Film Festival winning the World Cinema Cinematography: Dramatic prize before securing El Hosaini the Best British Newcomer prize at the BFI London Film Festival and Best European Film at Berlinale.
The roles of Yusra and Sarah Mardini are played by Lebanese actresses and real-life sisters, Manal and Nathalie Issa.
Also in trailers – Exclusive: Trailer & poster for ‘It Is In Us All’ starring Cosmo Jarvis
The film launches...
- 9/2/2022
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
After two years of virtual events or limited-capacity premieres, the festival returns in spectacular fashion, with more than 250 films expected to screen during the 10-day event. To break down the musts from the meh, here are nine films we’re dying to see.
“Causeway” (A24/Apple Original Films)
Though Jennifer Lawrence had a juicy supporting role in Adam McKay’s disaster comedy “Don’t Look Up” last year, we have not seen the former Katniss Everdeen in the driver’s seat of a film since the one-two punch of “Mother!” and “Red Sparrow”. She returns in earnest at TIFF with “Causeway,” about a soldier with a traumatic brain injury trying to readjust to normal life.
— Matt Donnelly
“Empire of Light” (Searchlight Pictures)
Sam Mendes crafts an ode to the power of movies with this story of a cinema ticket-taker (Olivia Colman) who finds herself drawn to a new employee (Michael Ward). Colman,...
“Causeway” (A24/Apple Original Films)
Though Jennifer Lawrence had a juicy supporting role in Adam McKay’s disaster comedy “Don’t Look Up” last year, we have not seen the former Katniss Everdeen in the driver’s seat of a film since the one-two punch of “Mother!” and “Red Sparrow”. She returns in earnest at TIFF with “Causeway,” about a soldier with a traumatic brain injury trying to readjust to normal life.
— Matt Donnelly
“Empire of Light” (Searchlight Pictures)
Sam Mendes crafts an ode to the power of movies with this story of a cinema ticket-taker (Olivia Colman) who finds herself drawn to a new employee (Michael Ward). Colman,...
- 9/1/2022
- by Brent Lang, Clayton Davis, Matt Donnelly, Angelique Jackson and Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
"We need to move forward. We're not allowed to give up." Netflix has revealed a teaser trailer for a film titled The Swimmers, made by a Welsh-Egyptian filmmaker named Sally El-Hosaini. This is premiering soon at the 2022 Toronto Film Festival, hence this trailer arriving now, before it arrives for streaming on Netflix this November. From war-torn Syria to the 2016 Rio Olympics, two sisters embark on a harrowing journey as refugees, putting both their hearts and champion swimming skills to heroic use. Based on the true story of the miraculous journey made by swimming sisters Yusra & Sarah Mardini who fled as refugees from war-torn Syria all the way to the 2016 Rio Olympics. Starring Nathalie Issa (as Yusra) and Manal Issa (as Sara) as the two sisters, plus Matthias Schweighöfer, Ahmed Malek, James Krishna Floyd, Nahel Tzegai, with Kinda Alloush and Ali Suliman. This is a fantastic teaser, with David Guetta's song "Titanium ft.
- 9/1/2022
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
The Toronto Film Festival has named Oscar-winning Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir (Women Talking) and award-winning Welsh Egyptian filmmaker Sally El Hosaini (The Swimmers) as honorees of the 2022 TIFF Tribute Awards, which return to an in-person gala fundraiser for its fourth edition at Fairmont Royal York Hotel on September 11th. The former will receive the TIFF Artisan Award, with the latter claiming the TIFF Emerging Talent Award.
The TIFF Artisan Award recognizes a distinguished creative who has excelled at their craft and made an outstanding contribution to cinema and entertainment. Previous recipients include Ari Wegner in 2021; Terence Blanchard in 2020; and Roger Deakins in 2019. The TIFF Emerging Talent Award, most recently bestowed on Danis Goulet, Tracey Deer and Mati Diop, is presented in the spirit of Torontonian Mary Pickford, the groundbreaking actor, producer and co-founder of United Artists, whose impact continues to be felt today.
Guðnadóttir won her first Oscar in 2020 for...
The TIFF Artisan Award recognizes a distinguished creative who has excelled at their craft and made an outstanding contribution to cinema and entertainment. Previous recipients include Ari Wegner in 2021; Terence Blanchard in 2020; and Roger Deakins in 2019. The TIFF Emerging Talent Award, most recently bestowed on Danis Goulet, Tracey Deer and Mati Diop, is presented in the spirit of Torontonian Mary Pickford, the groundbreaking actor, producer and co-founder of United Artists, whose impact continues to be felt today.
Guðnadóttir won her first Oscar in 2020 for...
- 8/25/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Sally El Hosaini’s drama The Swimmers, the true-life story of Syrian refugees-turned-Olympic athletes the Mardini sisters, will be the opening night film at the 18th Zurich International Film Festival.
The Swimmers, which will have its world premiere in Toronto, will have its European bow in Zurich on Sept. 22. El Hosaini together with the film’s stars Nathalie Issa and Matthias Schweighöfer and sisters Sara and Yusra Mardini will attend the Zurich premiere.
Produced by Working Title for Netflix, El Hosaini’s feature follows the Mardini sisters’ journey after they fled the civil war in Syria in 2015, trying to escape across the Aegean Sea to Europe. When the motor of the dinghy they were ridding on cut out, the sisters, both champion swimmers, helped save the other passengers. They went on to settle in Germany, where Yusra began training again. She competed at...
Sally El Hosaini’s drama The Swimmers, the true-life story of Syrian refugees-turned-Olympic athletes the Mardini sisters, will be the opening night film at the 18th Zurich International Film Festival.
The Swimmers, which will have its world premiere in Toronto, will have its European bow in Zurich on Sept. 22. El Hosaini together with the film’s stars Nathalie Issa and Matthias Schweighöfer and sisters Sara and Yusra Mardini will attend the Zurich premiere.
Produced by Working Title for Netflix, El Hosaini’s feature follows the Mardini sisters’ journey after they fled the civil war in Syria in 2015, trying to escape across the Aegean Sea to Europe. When the motor of the dinghy they were ridding on cut out, the sisters, both champion swimmers, helped save the other passengers. They went on to settle in Germany, where Yusra began training again. She competed at...
- 8/25/2022
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sally El Hosaini’s drama “The Swimmers,” based on the inspirational true-life story of the Mardini sisters, will open the 18th Zurich Film Festival on Sept. 22. It will be the film’s European premiere.
The film is produced by Working Title for Netflix. It is directed and written by El Hosaini and co-written by Jack Thorne, based on a true story. It follows the journey from war-torn Syria to the 2016 Rio Olympics of two young sisters, who embark on a harrowing journey as refugees, putting both their hearts and champion swimming skills to heroic use.
El Hosaini will be joined at the screening by cast members Nathalie Issa and Matthias Schweighöfer, along with Sara and Yusra Mardini, and Yusra’s swimming coach Sven Spannenkrebs.
“’The Swimmers’ is a deeply moving and timely film about a miraculous journey,” Christian Jungen, the festival’s artistic director, said. “It shines a light on the refugee crisis,...
The film is produced by Working Title for Netflix. It is directed and written by El Hosaini and co-written by Jack Thorne, based on a true story. It follows the journey from war-torn Syria to the 2016 Rio Olympics of two young sisters, who embark on a harrowing journey as refugees, putting both their hearts and champion swimming skills to heroic use.
El Hosaini will be joined at the screening by cast members Nathalie Issa and Matthias Schweighöfer, along with Sara and Yusra Mardini, and Yusra’s swimming coach Sven Spannenkrebs.
“’The Swimmers’ is a deeply moving and timely film about a miraculous journey,” Christian Jungen, the festival’s artistic director, said. “It shines a light on the refugee crisis,...
- 8/25/2022
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix’s new series Mo begins almost like The Sopranos. We see a heavyset figure (the comedian Mo Amer) drive to work. The shots alternate between Mo, smoking a cigarette and bopping to the sounds of “Sittin’ Sidewayz” by Paul Wall and Big Pokey, and half-glimpsed shots of the world he passes – not New Jersey but Houston, Texas. He arrives at work (a tech repair shop) and is abruptly sacked, amid fears that the business will be targeted in an immigration crackdown (Mo is a Palestinian refugee). Later in the episode, he is caught up in a random shooting at a supermarket; he gets a bullet in the arm but, uninsured, he refuses to go to hospital. Does this sound much like comedy to you?
Obviously not, you might think. But Mo is not your traditional sitcom. Created by Amer and comedian Ramy Youssef, the eight-episode series, which draws from...
Obviously not, you might think. But Mo is not your traditional sitcom. Created by Amer and comedian Ramy Youssef, the eight-episode series, which draws from...
- 8/24/2022
- by Louis Chilton
- The Independent - TV
At a Texan courthouse, while waiting for his family’s number to be called for a long-awaited hearing, Mo (Mo Amer) starts having a sweaty meltdown at precisely the least convenient moment. Fresh off a fight with his girlfriend Maria (Teresa Ruiz), worried sick for his mother, Yusra (Farah Bseiso), and in disbelief that his Palestinian refugee family might actually be getting the asylum they’ve needed for so long, Mo’s so overwhelmed and impatient that he can barely stay in his seat. As with most every episode of “Mo,” Netflix’s new series created by Amer and Ramy Youssef (“Ramy”), the stakes are as high as Mo’s escalating blood pressure.
But “Mo” is also a comedy with a fast-talking lionheart at its center, and as such, even this incredibly stressful time can vibrate with frissons of the ridiculous. Mo tussles with a security guard who refuses to...
But “Mo” is also a comedy with a fast-talking lionheart at its center, and as such, even this incredibly stressful time can vibrate with frissons of the ridiculous. Mo tussles with a security guard who refuses to...
- 8/24/2022
- by Caroline Framke
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix’s new series Mo begins almost like The Sopranos. We see a heavyset figure (the comedian Mo Amer) drive to work. The shots alternate between Mo, smoking a cigarette and bopping to the sounds of “Sittin’ Sidewayz” by Paul Wall and Big Pokey, and half-glimpsed shots of the world he passes – not New Jersey but Houston, Texas. He arrives at work (a tech repair shop) and is abruptly sacked, amid fears that the business will be targeted in an immigration crackdown (Mo is a Palestinian refugee). Later in the episode, he is caught up in a random shooting at a supermarket; he gets a bullet in the arm but, uninsured, he refuses to go to hospital. Does this sound much like comedy to you?
Obviously not, you might think. But Mo is not your traditional sitcom. Created by Amer and comedian Ramy Youssef, the eight-episode series, which draws from...
Obviously not, you might think. But Mo is not your traditional sitcom. Created by Amer and comedian Ramy Youssef, the eight-episode series, which draws from...
- 8/24/2022
- by Louis Chilton
- The Independent - TV
Click here to read the full article.
Late in the first episode of Netflix’s Mo, the title character (played by Mo Amer, who also co-created the series with Ramy Youssef) gets shot while shopping for cat food. Well, grazed — he’ll be fine once he’s treated at the hospital, the paramedics reassure him. Mo panics, as freaked out by the prospect of running up a medical bill without health insurance as he is by the fact of what’s actually happened to him. Meanwhile, the jaded EMTs bicker over his gurney about whether the shooting counts as “mass” if only four people were hit, including the shooter.
The scene feel darkly funny and a touch surreal, in the way the most harrowing moments of real life often do. It’s a distinctive example of what Mo does so well. Over eight half-hour episodes, the dramedy keeps itself afloat...
Late in the first episode of Netflix’s Mo, the title character (played by Mo Amer, who also co-created the series with Ramy Youssef) gets shot while shopping for cat food. Well, grazed — he’ll be fine once he’s treated at the hospital, the paramedics reassure him. Mo panics, as freaked out by the prospect of running up a medical bill without health insurance as he is by the fact of what’s actually happened to him. Meanwhile, the jaded EMTs bicker over his gurney about whether the shooting counts as “mass” if only four people were hit, including the shooter.
The scene feel darkly funny and a touch surreal, in the way the most harrowing moments of real life often do. It’s a distinctive example of what Mo does so well. Over eight half-hour episodes, the dramedy keeps itself afloat...
- 8/23/2022
- by Angie Han
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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