Nyad
Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, USA, 2023o
The story of American swimmer Diana Nyad, who in 2013 at the age of 64, with the help of her best friend and a 35-member support crew, became the first person to swim the 170 kilometers from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage. The successful crossing was preceded by several failed attempts that pushed Nyad to her limits.
For mere mortals, the undertaking seems completely insane: American long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad set out to swim 177 kilometers from Cuba to Key West in Florida, through dangerous currents, without rest or protection from sharks. On her fifth attempt, she made it in 53 hours in September 2013 - by then Nyad was already 64 years old. Now Nyad's memoir has been adapted for Netflix. The film follows the stages of the extreme sports biography in a somewhat formulaic way, from team building, the inevitable setbacks and perseverance to the expected triumph. What makes it worth seeing, however, is the cinematic visualization of extreme situations: Jellyfish, pain, the overwhelming power of nature. Even more worth seeing is the interaction of a stunning - and also stunningly sympathetic - pair of actresses: Annette Bening embodies Diane Nyad in a physically credible way, as a strong, yet highly self-referential and difficult personality. Jodie Foster is her physical and psychological equal as a coach and lifelong friend. Thus Nyad is also a film about a female friendship; the fact that both women are also lesbians is addressed quite casually.
Kathrin HalterGalleryo
