POWER OF THE CURRENT
SHORT DOCUMENTARY FILM
POWER OF THE CURRENT 1 x 15'
Discover the Power and Grit behind Para-Swimming through the lens of amateur national gold-medallist Italian Para Swimmer, Sofia Brizio, and uncover how the sport can Transform a life.
SWIMMING, SURVIVAL AND SUCCESS
Sofia was born with Spastic Diplegia, a form of Cerebral Palsy that impacts her coordination and motion. The congenital neurodevelopmental disability has left her with limited movement from the waist down, difficulty walking and damage to her left lung, but despite it all she goes against the current and swims.
Sofia has been competing at a national level with her local team in Italy since 2010, winning over 6 gold medals, 5 silver and 4 bronze.
The passionate 26-year-old has left her life in Italy to start anew in Wales. Settling in Cardiff, Sofia has found independence and a new career. However, the move has taken her away from her swimming team and where she normally trains, but she is determined not to leave the water.
We join Sofia as she restarts her para-swimming passion in Wales with the guidance of Welsh Para-Swimmers and goes on a journey of discovery and reflection on the transformative power that the current has had on her life and the lives of other para-swimmers.
Through archive of Sofia’s swimming competitions, showcasing her swims from childhood to the current day, actuality of her home in Bergamo to her life in the UK, and Master interviews with Sofia, her family, Italian and Welsh Para-swimmers, we learn the stories and experiences of Sofia and other Para-swimmers who found their power in the current.
This film will highlight a powerful story of overcoming struggle and finding passion, emphasising the need for sport and its impact on mental and physical health and well-being.
Meet the Team
With funding we hope to get an Editor, a DOP and Sound recordist involved. These are the core members of the project:
Venture into a heart-warming story and a window into the world of competitive Para Swimming.
We catch Sofia at her new job in Cardiff and follow her as she prepares to return to Italy to compete in what could be her last amateur para swimming season. While in Wales Sofia seeks a coach to get her back on track, she joins a group of WELSH PARA SWIMMERS. Could this be the start of a new journey?
The 15-minute film will be split into three main Parts.
1) SOFIA'S STORY
Sofia started swimming at 2 years old, after being diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. Through archive material, we see Sofia's childhood, her Parents show us photo albums from their picturesque home in the village of Bergamo and explain her diagnosis and how the swimming started. Despite the support of her parents and the sport, Sofia explains in her interview that she faced discrimination for her disability, discrimination that led her to leave Italy... “I didn’t see a future for myself there”. We see Sofia in her new life in Wales, hanging with her friends and then at her new job as a Teaching Associate. In her spare time, Sofia goes to the pool to swim. Determined not to lose her swimming roots she starts training to go back to Italy to compete in her last season.
2) THE POWER OF SWIMMING
Sofia will meet the leading Welsh Para Swimmers, learning the history of Welsh Para Sport whilst she trains with them. Para swimming in Wales traces its roots back to the 1960s. Popular Welsh para swimmers are David Roberts, Nyree Lewis, and Liz Johnson have represented Wales and won multiple Paralympic medals. We hope to interview Champion Welsh Para Swimmers such as Rhys Darbey, Lily Rice, Meg Willis & Dylan Broom.
3) SOFIA'S NEXT STEPS
Through UGC, we see Sofia returning back to Italy and competing in her last season of Italian competitions. Sofia prepares for these competitions in Wales training with Welsh Para Swimmers and a Swimming Coach. In Italy we meet her parents and Italian para team and saying her final farewells, we see her competing and then returning to Wales.
INTERVIEWEES and ACCESS
We have full access to Sofia Brizio and her Family including her first coach, Gloria and her Italian Para-Swimming Team members and her friends in Cardiff.
Potentially we can interview some of Wales best Para-swimmers through Swim Wales.
FILMING TECHNIQUES
- 4K UNDERWATER FILMING with Go Pros.
- SLOWMO Shots on FX6/FS7/FS9 – of swimming.
- We aim to do some underwater filming and are looking into getting some specialist cameras and a trained professional for one day to do some lovely-looking HD underwater shots.
- Sit down, straight down the lens interviews (Prime Lenses).
- Archive (family shot footage and photos of Sofia, sports archive IPC and more of Sofia's competitions.
- Historical footage on the history of Para Swimming).
- Zooms/Recorded Video Calls with Sofia’s family and team back in Italy.
CURRENT FILMING SCHEDULED
- December 2023 - Anna will be with Sofia in Italy. Sofia returns for an IPC race in Brescia, where she will be filming some UGC while Anna goes to Sofia's home and does some cutaways and general shots of her family and the city.
- February 2024 - With the money from Crowdfunding we will be filming for 5 days in Cardiff. The Main Interview with Sofia, another day of stylistic/experimental shots at the pool and Underwater swimming shots, interviews with Sofia's friends and Welsh Para Swimmers along with the actuality of her at work and wandering around Cardiff.
- July 2024 - Sofia will be competing in the Italian Summer Nationals from 6-7 July. We aim to get access to the competition and be there to film her competing. We aim to spend 10 days in Italy, filming with Sofia's family, friends, coach and teammates.