Two swimmers, one dream, and a country that keeps moving the finish line.
Mısra and Defne are close friends and duet partners who met each other through synchronized swimming. After failing to qualify for the 2016 Olympics, they set a shared goal, the 2020 Olympics. Not too long after, their esteemed coach Natalie is fired by the federation with no explanation. What follows is an emotional devastation and disruption of scheduled practices, which in turn leads to a decline in their performances. Political tremors in Turkey and the global pandemic lead the duet to make a decision on whether to keep the fight or to find new paths in life.
Direction
Dual female directors who clearly earned trust in vulnerable moments.
Editing
Seamless weaving of personal struggle with national political upheaval.
Director
İdil Akkuş
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Turkey's synchronized swimming program has historically struggled with federation support; this captures a systemic pattern rarely documented on film.
The pandemic didn't just delay Olympics—it became the excuse federations needed to cut programs they'd already undervalued.
TR
