The Swimmer | |
Director: | Adam Kalderon |
Music: | The Penelopes |
Cinematography: | Ofer Inov |
Editing: | Guy Nemesh |
Production Companies: | Ingenue Productions |
Distributor: | Strand Releasing |
Runtime: | 84 minutes |
Country: | Israel |
Language: | Hebrew English Russian |
The Swimmer is a 2021 Israeli sports drama written and directed by Adam Kalderon. Omer Perelman Striks stars as Erez, a gay competitive swimmer, grappling between desire and success. The film premiered at the Jerusalem Film Festival on 30 August 2021.
Erez (Perelman Striks), a hot talent in the local swimming scene enrolls at a tough training camp to further his dreams. Erez is pitted against the other swimmers, with the winner set to represent Israel at the Olympic Games. He develops a strong physical attraction towards Nevo, his rival at the camp. This attraction will unravel his ambitions and focus in the swimming pool.[1]
The film was well received by critics and holds a 92% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[2] Kyle Turner of The New York Times wrote that Kalderon: "renders his film “The Swimmer” with style and rich psychology." Turner continued: “Kalderon finds the intensity of desire and competition in the cracks of the statue."[3] Carlos Aguilar of the Los Angeles Times praised it as "a brightly colored and cleverly erotic queer sports drama."[4]
Perelman Striks was awarded the Best Actor award at the Jerusalem Film Festival in 2021.[5]
The film first premiered at the Jerusalem Film Festival on 30 August 2021. It has also been screened at the following film festivals; Palm Springs International Film Festival, UK Jewish Film Festival,, Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards, Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Chéries-Chéris and the Hong Kong Lesbian & Gay Film Festival. It also received a limited theatrical release in the United States on 7 October 2022.[6]
The film was also released for streaming in Australia by the Special Broadcasting Service.[7]