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Toronto International Film Festival kicks off with premiere of ‘The Swimmers’

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Nathalie Issa, Manal Issa, Yusra Mardini, and Sara Mardini attend the Opening Night Gala Premiere of "The Swimmers" during the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images).
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VIDEO: “The Swimmers,” a movie about two sisters fleeing Syria, was the opening night gala presentation at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.

The film directed by Sally El Hosaini is based on the true story of the Mardini sisters, who were forced to swim for hours alongside their overloaded boat to reach Greece from Turkey in 2015.

CHCH News’ Bob Cowan spoke with one of the sisters named Yusra Mardini.

El Hosaini says the film, which is produced by Netflix and Working Title, is suitable for a city as diverse as Toronto.

The festival runs from Sept. 8 to 18.

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