The Swimsuit Issue

Fredrik's marriage is in tatters, his wife wants to offload their rebellious teenage daughter on him so she can pursue her career, and after a catastrophic defeat, the future of his beloved hockey team also looks bleak. A new challenge is needed! A crazy idea leads to a new field of activity for Fredrik: synchronized swimming. At first, the guys from his old hockey team think it's a bad joke, but Fredrik puts in a lot of hard work to convince them. As soon as everyone is on board, Fredrik, typically a man, immediately dreams of taking part in the synchronized swimming world championships in Berlin. MÄNNER IM WASSER (THE SWIMSUIT ISSUE) by Mans Herngren transforms this seemingly absurd new beginning into a moving success story. With subtle humor and authentic performances, the film challenges traditional role models while showing the indomitable will of a man who is willing to leave old certainties behind. The camera captures not only the painful moments of failure but also the quiet triumphs when an apparent farce turns into an inspiring life lesson. Herngren interweaves pointed social criticism with the personal story of a man who finds his own way by daring to do something new – and in doing so also wins the hearts of those around him.

Keywords

  • Arthouse
  • Made in Germany
  • Screen: Scandinavia
  • community
  • dance
  • desire
  • europe
  • family
  • friendship
  • sport

Actors

  • Jonas Inde
  • Amanda Davin
  • Peter Gardiner
  • Benny Haag
  • Jimmy Lindström
  • Shebly Niavarani

Director

  • Mans Herngren

Comedy


1h 37min


0 FSK

DE

SV


DE

Sweden
Germany
2008
Synchronized swimming instead of a midlife crisis: Frederik, an unemployed hockey fan, is looking for a new field of activity.

Synchronized swimming instead of a midlife crisis: Frederik, an unemployed hockey fan, is looking for a new field of activity.


Fredrik's marriage is in tatters, his wife wants to offload their rebellious teenage daughter on him so she can pursue her career, and after a catastrophic defeat, the future of his beloved hockey team also looks bleak. A new challenge is needed!


A crazy idea leads to a new field of activity for Fredrik: synchronized swimming. At first, the guys from his old hockey team think it's a bad joke, but Fredrik puts in a lot of hard work to convince them. As soon as everyone is on board, Fredrik, typically a man, immediately dreams of taking part in the synchronized swimming world championships in Berlin.


MÄNNER IM WASSER (THE SWIMSUIT ISSUE) by Mans Herngren transforms this seemingly absurd new beginning into a moving success story. With subtle humor and authentic performances, the film challenges traditional role models while showing the indomitable will of a man who is willing to leave old certainties behind. The camera captures not only the painful moments of failure but also the quiet triumphs when an apparent farce turns into an inspiring life lesson. Herngren interweaves pointed social criticism with the personal story of a man who finds his own way by daring to do something new – and in doing so also wins the hearts of those around him.

Festivals

Cast & Crew