Swimmers

Colour, 35 mm
USA, 2005, 90 min
EP – European premiere
Section: Another View
Oficiální stránky: www.swimmersthemovie.com

Synopsis

11-year-old Ema Tyler lives with her parents and brothers in Chesapeake Bay. Their father earns a living catching crabs and oysters, but after a accident in which his boat is destroyed, the family finds itself in financial crisis. The girl, who is sick, becomes friends with the mysterious Merrill, who returns to the family home; this friendship helps Ema face the hardships both she and her family have to undergo. “Swimmers is a film about people who lose their balance between their world and the natural world, and whose lives depend on whether they are able to regain it”, says the director. “In order to iluminate these connections, I have chosen to observe this intense time in the Tyler family from the perspective of Emma, who, as the youngest, can still see and feel in a way that the adults around her cannot. Ultimately, this is a story about people facing specific crises and striving to give birth to new dreams.”

About the director

Doug Sadler (b. New Orleans) grew up on a horse farm in Louisiana. After his parents sold all their property, they lived for two years on a boat and finally moved to Maryland. Sadler attended Vanderbilt University and studied acting at the American Conservatory Theatre. He debuted in the film Riders (2002), which was premiered at Chanal Sundance. He also accepted an invitation to take part in a meeting of screenwriters and directors at the Sundance Institute. In 1993 he began working in Oregon, which enabled him to start getting involved in experimental film. He lives both in Maryland and New York.