THE SWIMMER

Israel, 2022, 81 minutes, Colour.

Omer Perelman Striks, Asaf Jonas, Ofek Nicki-Cohen, Nadia Kucher, Igal Reznick, May Kurtz.

Directed by Adam Calderon.

The swimmer is an Israeli film, focusing on a young swimmer who goes to a training session in order to get a ticket for the Olympics.

There is a great deal of swimming in the film, filmed on the surface, overhead, underwater, exercises in training, competitive swimming. There is the coach, Jewish coming from Siberia, critical of conditions in Israel. He has an unexpected assistant, a woman who is able to work with him, but, in her appearance, size and weight, seems unlikely as a swimming coach.

The swimmer of the title is Erez, brought to the training by his father who knew the coach in the past and who himself, as well as his wife, were competitive swimmers. He has expectations for his son. Erez is very competitive, and praised by the coach as well is by the former Olympic gymnastics champion who manages the Centre for training.

The other swimmers are not particularly well delineated as characters. They are there, background to the rats. However, there is an Nevo, a champion swimmer his father is a Consul in London. Ere feels attracted to an Nevo despite talking about his girlfriend from the kibbutz and a scene with her. Any friendships are strictly taboo according to the coach.

However, Erez is emotionally tangled, attracted an Evo, jealous of him when he pays attention to a young gymnast and merits arranges to be expelled because of her physical’s condition and illness.

With the final competition, Erez then baulks at the final moment, allowing Nevo to win.

Generally an understated film about gay relationships, the film relying on some show are sequences to suggest the homoerotic.

1. The title? Swimming, training, exercise, competitive, the Olympics?
2. The ideals of swimming, sports achievement, competitive and winning?
3. The of swimming sequences, close-up, underwater, aerial? The exercises and their demands? In the opening credits and the shaving?
4. The Israeli settings, the kibbutz, the compound, the pool, the countryside, the ruins? The musical score?
5. Erez and his story, background, his competitive father, his competitive mother, the glimpse of them on the phone, his conversations with them, his father taking him to the training? His ambitions? Physique, exercise, skills in the water, the coach’s hopes, his own ambitions, not liking the water, but liking winning? Meeting the others in the group, meeting Nevo, interest in him?
6. The role of the coach, from Siberia, criticisms of Israel, work at the pool, attitudes towards coaching, his demands, rules, single-minded, swimming as individual sport, checking relationships, distractions? In action at the pool, with Erez, with Nevo, his knowing Erez’s father in the past?
7. His assistant, female, unexpected, her work, roll, favouring Erez, the photo, getting herself ready, thrown into the pool?
8. The compound, Paloma, in charge, her past, gymnastics and Olympics, the effect of such dedication on her life, her disappointments, Erez asking why she accepted this “dump”? Her favouring Erez? Maya and Erez reporting her, her being sent from the compound? The later criticisms of Erez by the other members of the team?
9. Erez, personality, talk about his girlfriend, her visit, the kibbutz? His attraction to Nevo, with him, talking, the birthday cake, with the group, the shower sequences, shaving him?
10. Nevo, background, his father Consulate in England, competitive, training, the friendship with errors, with the other men in the group, special attention, his meetings with Maya, her expulsion? The testy relationship with Erez, allowing him to shave him? The final swim? Winning, the Olympics?
11. The other members of the team, their personalities, working together, swimming and training, shower sequences? Competitive?
12. The finale, Erez and his growing desperation, dying his hair, shaving his head, the coach critical, the final swim, his father present? Is doing well? Letting go at the end and Nevo winning?
13. And the surreal fantasy of the team and their dance sequence in the empty pool, intercut with the swimming?