A film charting the incredible feat of one woman who became the first person to swim round the Isle of Man has been released.
‘Vindication Swim’ has been released digitally this week on iTunes, Amazon, Google, Skystore and Rakuten.
Mercedes Gleitze became the first person to swim around Isle of Man in June 1930, as well as being the first woman to swim the English Channel.
She also completed numerous marathon swims around the UK, including local endurance swims in Blackpool where she trained for her Irish Sea swim.
She was driven to prove herself after being forced to swim the English Channel a second time after someone claimed to have beaten her record – although it turned out to be a hoax.
The film has enjoyed a limited cinema release in the UK and even broke into the top 20 in the box office earlier this year. It was also screened in Cannes last month with director Elliott Hasler, 23, the first writer/director born this century to be in the Cannes Film Festival.
The award-winning biopic explores the extraordinary life of Gleitze who, in 1927, became the first British woman to swim the English Channel.
As a working-class, unmarried typist, Gleitze self-funded all of her swims and it took her eight attempts to conquer the English Channel. However, following her success, a rival emerged, claiming the same feat, which forced Gleitze into a battle to retain her record and legacy.
After the English Channel, Gleitze went on to achieve many more incredible swims around the world, including the Straits of Gibraltar, the Dardanelles and the dangerous distance between Robben Island and Cape Town. But the swim round the island was one of her most challenging.
Elliott Hasler says the film serves as a poignant reminder of the indomitable spirit of a woman who dared to dream beyond the confines of her era and he hopes the film hopes to bring the legacy of this remarkable woman back into the spotlight.
He explained: ‘It was our aim to really submerge the audience into the waters of the English Channel and in that way hope to pay homage to the spirit of this incredible woman.
‘So everything you see on screen is real, all shot without the use of tanks, green screens or body doubles, all swimming scenes were shot in the English Channel.
‘I want audiences to feel as if they are swimming right alongside Mercedes on her incredible journey and share in her love affair with the water.’
