The sports biopic film Vindication Swim directed by Elliott Hasler is the true story of Mercedes Gleitze, first British woman to swim the English Channel, and her fight for equality and recognition.
Featured cast includes Kirsten Callaghan (‘Mercedes Gleitze’), John Locke (‘Harold Best’), Victoria Summer (‘Edith Gade’), James Wilby (‘Mr. Havers’), and Douglas Hodge (‘The Newsreader’).
After opening in UK cinemas in 2024, it will make its U.S. debut with a limited theatrical release in New York City on October 17, 2025 and in Los Angeles on October 24, 2025, with additional markets to follow. It will also be available November 18, 2025 on VOD/digital and DVD via Freestyle Digital Media.
Vindication Swim tells the inspiring true story of Mercedes Gleitze, who in 1927 became the first British woman to swim the English Channel. Battling unforgiving seas, societal expectations, and relentless challenges, Mercedes becomes a symbol of resilience. However, her achievement is soon questioned by skeptics, forcing her into a fight for recognition. As Mercedes embarks on a grueling vindication swim, she faces both physical and psychological trials that test her determination. Highlighting the beauty and peril of open water swimming and the obstacles women continue to face in the pursuit of equality, Vindication Swim vividly brings to life the pioneering spirit of Gleitze, who would go on to become a trailblazer for women’s open water swimming around the world.
“Making Vindication Swim was an incredibly demanding but deeply rewarding experience,” said filmmaker Elliott Hasler. “Over the course of three years, we shot all the swimming sequences in the English Channel itself. No water tanks, no green screens, no body doubles. Just raw, honest filmmaking. That authenticity was essential to us. It was our way of honouring Mercedes Gleitze’s extraordinary courage and determination, ensuring her story was told with the grit and truth it deserves.”
Vindication Swim was produced by Simon Hasler, Sally Humphreys-Wood, and Douglas McJannet. Nicola Pearcey, Matt Pearcey, Kirsten Callaghan, and Mike Green served as executive producers.
See the trailer above.
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