Lesbian Swimmer Biopic Starring Annette Bening, Jodie Foster On Netflix
Image: Trailer Screenshot
The biopic about the life of lesbian marathon swimmer Diana Nyad, starring Annette Bening and Jodie Foster, has been released on Netflix.
The film, called Nyad, was directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Free Solo, The Rescue), and written by Julia Cox. It is based on Diana Nyad’s autobiography Find a Way.
Swimming From Cuba To Florida
Nyad tells the story of Diana Nyad, a swimmer, who at the age of 64, decided to conquer a lifelong challenge, swimming from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage.
The official logline reads, “Three decades after giving up marathon swimming in exchange for a prominent career as a sports journalist, at the age of 60, Diana Nyad (Bening) becomes obsessed with completing an epic swim that always eluded her: the 110-mile trek from Cuba to Florida, often referred to as the “Mount Everest” of swims. Determined to become the first person to finish the swim without a shark cage, Diana goes on a thrilling, four-year journey with her best friend and coach Bonnie Stoll (Foster) and a dedicated sailing team.”
Nyad stars Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right) Jodie Foster (The Silence of the Lambs), Rhys Ifans (The Amazing Spider-Man), Karly Rothenberg (That’s So Raven), Jeena Yi (Only Murders in the Building), Luke Cosgrove (The Mist), Eric T. Miller (Mare of Easttown), and Garland Scott (The Ghost Who Walks).
‘Annette Is Amazing’
Directors Chin and Vasarhelyi, in an interview with Netflix, spoke about the casting of Bening.
“Annette is amazing. She was often in the tank for hours at a time because she wanted to swim and wanted it to be authentic. The stunt team was blown away,” Chin explained.
Vasarhelyi said, “It was really important that we could find someone to do the work and do the training and it was very much a dialogue between us before [Annette] accepted the role. We were able to sit at the table and really have conversations about the character and the training. When she did that first stroke on camera, you could feel the excitement of the crew.”
Chin added, “We love stories that allow you to explore the human spirit and human potential, and NYAD really captures both of those pieces for us.”
The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in September. It became available on Netflix on November 3.
