Erez (Omer Perelman Striks) joins a group of swimmers competing to become the Israeli representative at the Olympics. Coached by Dima (Igal Reznik), a man who hopes to rebuild his career by finding a success story, Erez shows promise and begins to bond with fellow swimming hopeful Nevo (Asaf Jones). As the competition heats up, Erez’s closeness with Nevo is called into question, threatening his chance to go to the Olympics and highlighting the poor attitude that exists towards LGBTQ+ people in sport.
‘The Swimmer’ screened as part of this year’s BFI Flare Festival and it’ll be released by Peccadillo Pictures later in the year. From film-maker Adam Kalderon, the film is an exploration of homophobia in sport and a coming-of-age tale for its central character Erez. Early on in the film when Dima suspects that Erez may be gay, he tells him he has great potential but warns that his opportunities will be taken away if his suspicions are confirmed. This pushes Erez down a dangerous path as he tries to keep his mind on his swimming but is distracted by his burgeoning attraction to Nevo.
Interestingly Kalderon chooses to keep things incredibly subtle. While it’s pretty obvious that Erez can’t help but fall for Nevo, it’s never made clear if there’s any reciprocation. Audiences may be expecting an illicit romance but that’s absolutely not what this film is about. Kalderon definitely builds up a homoerotic atmosphere with scenes of the swimmers goading one another in the showers and plenty of shots of them in tight trunks, but he lets the viewer’s mind wander as to the possibilities of what could happen. It’s true to say the building tension between Erez and Nevo reaches a climax of sorts but it’s probably not what people will be expecting.
What the film focuses more on is the pressure that’s piled on Erez. He’s pushed to his limits by Dima, and his own desire to be the best, but he’s also got the expectations of his pushy father weighing heavily on his shoulders. You get a sense that Erez’s pursuit of swimming is more to satisfy everyone around him and less to do with what he actually wants for himself. That aspect of the story will prove very relatable for audiences as we’ve all felt that parental pressure and the fear of disappointing them.
One of the strong points of ‘The Swimmer’ is Kalderon’s direction, which includes a clever use of music and creates a finale that is both unexpected and delightful. He’s clearly a director with an eye on the visuals and how he can use those to subvert expectation. To some the ending may feel a little random but all of the clues are in there if you look hard enough, and I found it intensely satisfying.
At the centre of the action is Omer Perelman Striks who gives a sterling performance as Erez. He finds the balance between sensitive and competitive, making Erez into a believable and realistic character that is complicated yet engaging. He creates fantastic chemistry with Asaf Jones as Nevo too, and that will easily get audiences on side rooting for a romance between the two characters.
‘The Swimmer’ is an unusual but rewarding film. It avoids the expected beats from a story of this nature and it manages to frequently surprise. For some, it may be a little too subtle but for me, I appreciated seeing a more considered and thought-provoking coming-of-age story play out on screen. Kalderon is a strong director and I’ll certainly be on the lookout for his next projects, whenever they may arrive.
Cast: Omer Perelman Striks, Asaf Jonas, Igal Reznik, Nadia Kucher Director: Adam Kalderon Writer: Adam Kalderon Certificate: 18 Duration: 83 mins Released by: Peccadillo Pictures Release date: 9th May 2022
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