Did anybody else happen to catch the PBS show, Independent Lens, this week? There was an hour long documentary entitled Men Who Swim, and I must say it was one of the best things I have seen on TV in years, and the best documentary since Sherman's March. Funny, poignant, and beautifully filmed, especially the underwater stuff.
I almost didn't watch it because the topic seemed self-consciously whacky: a group of Swedish guys approaching 40 who decide to start what they believe is the first (and only) male synchronized swimming team.
You can see some clips that the director posted here: www.directorsnotes.com/.../
I suspect it might be available, too, for watching in its entirety on the pbs website.
Anyhow, I think it really captures what so many of us forumites seem to love about the swimming community in general--the friendships we make, the laughs we get to share, and a reassuring sense of camaraderie as we all approach the aging process together.
Two erect thumbs straight up!
Ryan, are you Swedish or an immigrant to Sweden? If the latter, the movie makes the point that it can be hard to make friends in Sweden if you aren't born there, but that the best route for doing so is to "join a club"--which is precisely what filmmaker Williams decides to do at the outset of his documentary.
I'm a military brat, born in Texas, raised around the world. But settled in Sweden when I couldn't convince my wife to move to the US.
It is hard to make friends in Sweden. Swedes are very nice people, but can be very closed at the same time. I had lots of acquaintances the first 5-6 yrs I lived here, most of them through my wife's circle of friends or my work. But in 2007 when we moved 80 miles north to a new town and I picked up swimming again it made it easier for me to make friends.
But the problem with making friends is not unique to Sweden. Most places I moved, I made swimming friends long before I had school friends or neighborhood friends. People tend to like the number of friends (contacts) they have and are not as willing to add the new guy/girl.
Ryan, are you Swedish or an immigrant to Sweden? If the latter, the movie makes the point that it can be hard to make friends in Sweden if you aren't born there, but that the best route for doing so is to "join a club"--which is precisely what filmmaker Williams decides to do at the outset of his documentary.
I'm a military brat, born in Texas, raised around the world. But settled in Sweden when I couldn't convince my wife to move to the US.
It is hard to make friends in Sweden. Swedes are very nice people, but can be very closed at the same time. I had lots of acquaintances the first 5-6 yrs I lived here, most of them through my wife's circle of friends or my work. But in 2007 when we moved 80 miles north to a new town and I picked up swimming again it made it easier for me to make friends.
But the problem with making friends is not unique to Sweden. Most places I moved, I made swimming friends long before I had school friends or neighborhood friends. People tend to like the number of friends (contacts) they have and are not as willing to add the new guy/girl.
