Free Swim
Director Jennifer Galvin
Countries Bahamas, United States
Duration 50 min
Synopsis
Free Swim (www.FreeSwimMovie.com) is an award winning documentary film about the paradox of coastal people not knowing how to swim. Taking place on the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas we follow a group of kids as they overcome their fears, gain confidence and reconnect with their environment by learning to swim in open waters. With fresh memories of a friend drowning and the conflicts of growing tourism, for these kids it’s not just about floating, but gaining new skills for their future. Eleuthera, which means ‘freedom’ in Greek, is so long and narrow (approximately 110 miles long and on average 1 mile wide) that it’s like walking a tightrope between two bodies of water. In close proximity to the US, the tourism industry thrives in the Bahamas, but Eleuthera has experienced a cyclical rise and fall of tourism, which coincided with the crash of pineapple and cattle farming and increased stress on local seafood stocks. With its particularly thin geography, bucolic landscape and stunning water, its culture is rooted in a rural fishing vibe that holds family traditions dear in the face of growing social-environmental conflicts. Free Swim uses the topic of learning to swim as a way to explore more complicated aspects of life on Eleuthera, such as influences on community function by the media, drowning, tourism, overfishing, and education. This multifaceted approach is essential to the development of the film’s theme of paradox in paradise all the while using swimming as the anchor, literally and metaphorically. The story thread is woven with footage of children learning to swim in their backyard sea. Underwater footage shows the challenges of learning to breathe in a new environment and the powers of discovering a beautiful, new world. We see the Swim to Empower program in action. Swim to Empower was founded by two young American women who traveled to South Eleuthera, the most economically challenged part of the island, to teach people of all ages to swim and moreover, to empower locals to teach one another. The documentary is shot in verite style following kids into the water classroom for swimming lessons and empowerment. The behavioral and emotional dimensions of the swimming students in/out and above/below the water are presented together with elements of community dynamics, the island’s natural resources, and socio-economic perspectives. The audience meets many characters including teachers, artists, parents, and fishermen. All of the storylines combined present a portrait of the social, environmental and economic issues on the island and the impact it holds for the world at large. Through the power of learning to swim the story promotes discussion about the swimming gap and ignites broader questions about health and conservation: What might be the unexpected power of learning to swim? What is at stake when people are unable to connect with their environment beyond purely using it for utilitarian gain? And, when we come to better understand our environment will we value it, and ourselves, more? For many, swimming translates into a new perspective – a “sink or swim” mixed with a “there’s no place like home” sentiment – bringing a greater sense of freedom with the knowledge that the underwater world exists and can be survived, and even enjoyed. Recognizing that drowning is a leading cause of death for children globally and that many questions exist about minorities and the swimming gap, Free Swim is an empowering film that is relevant for a wide, international audience and will be made available through film festivals, commercial distribution, educational outreach programs, and television. It documents the essence of daily life in a coastal world, avoiding both a romantic vision of island lifestyle and an overly academic approach to environmental and public health topics. While the documentary’s emotional trajectory unfolds in a new island destination for many audience members, the process of learning to swim allows viewers to tap into personal fears and have an experience with the ocean. Learning to swim is a personal thing, which is passed on from adult to child and is at the core of one’s identity and development. The film appeals to swimmers and non-swimmers alike because all humans have a relationship with water, and in particular to adults and children who have memories of vacationing in coastal places. Despite the different, immediate realities of life on Eleuthera, the characters express similar concerns to people living in more developed locations. Free Swim engages through the process of discovery, in and out of the water, and aims to inspire viewers to question their own relationships with the world, even in places located far from the ocean.
Free Swim (www.FreeSwimMovie.com) is an award winning documentary film about the paradox of coastal people not knowing how to swim. Taking place on the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas we follow a group of kids as they overcome their fears, gain confidence and reconnect with their environment by learning to swim in open waters. With fresh memories of a friend drowning and the conflicts of growing tourism, for these kids it’s not just about floating, but gaining new skills for their future. Eleuthera, which means ‘freedom’ in Greek, is so long and narrow (approximately 110 miles long and on average 1 mile wide) that it’s like walking a tightrope between two bodies of water. In close proximity to the US, the tourism industry thrives in the Bahamas, but Eleuthera has experienced a cyclical rise and fall of tourism, which coincided with the crash of pineapple and cattle farming and increased stress on local seafood stocks. With its particularly thin geography, bucolic landscape and stunning water, its culture is rooted in a rural fishing vibe that holds family traditions dear in the face of growing social-environmental conflicts. Free Swim uses the topic of learning to swim as a way to explore more complicated aspects of life on Eleuthera, such as influences on community function by the media, drowning, tourism, overfishing, and education. This multifaceted approach is essential to the development of the film’s theme of paradox in paradise all the while using swimming as the anchor, literally and metaphorically. The story thread is woven with footage of children learning to swim in their backyard sea. Underwater footage shows the challenges of learning to breathe in a new environment and the powers of discovering a beautiful, new world. We see the Swim to Empower program in action. Swim to Empower was founded by two young American women who traveled to South Eleuthera, the most economically challenged part of the island, to teach people of all ages to swim and moreover, to empower locals to teach one another. The documentary is shot in verite style following kids into the water classroom for swimming lessons and empowerment. The behavioral and emotional dimensions of the swimming students in/out and above/below the water are presented together with elements of community dynamics, the island’s natural resources, and socio-economic perspectives. The audience meets many characters including teachers, artists, parents, and fishermen. All of the storylines combined present a portrait of the social, environmental and economic issues on the island and the impact it holds for the world at large. Through the power of learning to swim the story promotes discussion about the swimming gap and ignites broader questions about health and conservation: What might be the unexpected power of learning to swim? What is at stake when people are unable to connect with their environment beyond purely using it for utilitarian gain? And, when we come to better understand our environment will we value it, and ourselves, more? For many, swimming translates into a new perspective – a “sink or swim” mixed with a “there’s no place like home” sentiment – bringing a greater sense of freedom with the knowledge that the underwater world exists and can be survived, and even enjoyed. Recognizing that drowning is a leading cause of death for children globally and that many questions exist about minorities and the swimming gap, Free Swim is an empowering film that is relevant for a wide, international audience and will be made available through film festivals, commercial distribution, educational outreach programs, and television. It documents the essence of daily life in a coastal world, avoiding both a romantic vision of island lifestyle and an overly academic approach to environmental and public health topics. While the documentary’s emotional trajectory unfolds in a new island destination for many audience members, the process of learning to swim allows viewers to tap into personal fears and have an experience with the ocean. Learning to swim is a personal thing, which is passed on from adult to child and is at the core of one’s identity and development. The film appeals to swimmers and non-swimmers alike because all humans have a relationship with water, and in particular to adults and children who have memories of vacationing in coastal places. Despite the different, immediate realities of life on Eleuthera, the characters express similar concerns to people living in more developed locations. Free Swim engages through the process of discovery, in and out of the water, and aims to inspire viewers to question their own relationships with the world, even in places located far from the ocean.