Movies Similar to Swimming with Butterflies

Sports(1932)

The film is about a protest provoked when the university decided to restrict access to sports facilities to athletes, cutting out all other students. This is, strictly speaking, not a Prokino film. It was produced by the Waseda University Film Circle, which was organized by Kawazoe Shiro. Feature film directors Yamamoto Satsuo and Taniguchi Senkichi were apparently students at Waseda at the time and participated in the production.

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The Ugly Face of Disability Hate Crime(2015)

Adam Pearson - who has neurofibromatosis type 1 - is on a mission to explore disability hate crime: to find out why it goes under-reported, under-recorded and under people's radar.

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The Girl and the Echo(1964)

The movie, based on a story by Yuri Nagibin, depicts a young girl named Vika enjoying the last days of summer vacations in a sea resort somewhere in the south.

6.1

To the Sea(2010)

Before leaving for Rome with his mother, five year old Natan is taken by his father, Jorge, on an epic journey to the pristine Chinchorro reef off the coast of Mexico. As they fish, swim, and sail the turquoise waters of the open sea, Natan discovers the beauty of his Mayan heritage and learns to live in harmony with life above and below the surface, as the bond between father and son grows stronger before their inevitable farewell.

6.8

Cold Refuge(2023)

Cold Refuge is about the physical, psychological, and spiritual aspects of full immersion in the natural world: how, though it may seem counter-intuitive, swimming in cold water helps mitigate some of life’s most serious challenges. The film’s diverse film subjects include a wheelchair-bound, paralyzed swimmer who faces fear by diving off a high pier; a Black man who was told by whites when he was 13 that “Black people don’t swim” (it took him 30 years to try); a blind man who tethers himself to a sighted swimmer; a woman with aggressive breast cancer who “swims to chemo;” a lawyer who reduces courtroom stress in the open water; and a young woman who communes with her late mother in San Francisco Bay, where they both swam together. Along with swimmers’ stories of adversity and resilience, the film’s marine mammals, birds, artwork, and a variety of open-water locations create a visual meditation on what it means to escape our abstract digital world in favor of what’s real.

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Living in Fear

Filmed and edited entirely in isolation, Living in Fear is an educational and inspiring documentary directed by myself, Stephanie Castelete-Tyrrell, a disabled filmmaker as I capture the fears and struggles disabled people faced before the government implemented the lockdown on the 23rd March 2020. Thousands of people with disabilities were left in the dark and had to make the call weeks before to lockdown as it was inevitable that we would die if we caught the virus. Food was impossible to access because we couldn't go out or get delivery slots, and even if we did panic buyers made it impossible to get the items we desperately needed. We were truly isolated, unable to have family and friends visit. Having carers coming in and out of the house was risky and many disabled people felt that having basic care was putting their lives at risk.

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Murderball(2005)

Quadriplegics, who play full-contact rugby in wheelchairs, overcome unimaginable obstacles to compete in the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece.

7.1

Nina is an Athlete(2024)

On the cusp of turning 40, wheelchair badminton champion Nina Gorodetsky, has her first and maybe last, chance to participate in the Paralympics. However, she is negotiating a ticking biological clock both as a mother and as an athlete. What would she be willing to sacrifice to realize her Olympic dream?

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Under the water

A daily life in Korogocho, Kenya, one of the world’s poorest slums.

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Summer Days with Coo(2007)

A small, lone Kappa miraculously survives over 200 years into modern day Japan, when he is found by young Koichi. Coo, who is secretly adopted by Koichi's family, searches with his new human friend for unpopulated places in hopes of finding any remaining of his kind.

7.8

Serviced(2019)

Serviced explores touch based service businesses including cuddling, erotic massage, sex surrogacy and sex work. Meet the men who have foregone the 9-5 grind or are adding on a side-hustle service-based job. From cuddling to sex work we're looking at the world's oldest profession with eyes wide open.

4.0

Touch the Wall(2014)

Swimming superstar Missy Franklin was destined for greatness at an early age, but it wasn't until the arrival of Veteran Kara Lynn Joyce that those sky-high expectations began to take shape.

8.0

One of Them Is Named Brett(1965)

A look into the life of Brett, a boy born without arms due to thalidomide exposure.

7.0

Against the Current(2021)

Against the Current is a feature-length documentary that chronicles the journey of South African endurance swimmer Sarah Ferguson, as she attempts to become the first person ever to swim around Easter Island (Rapa Nui) non-stop. It tells the story of a global team united, not only in trying to make Sarah’s 40-mile challenge a success, but also in using it to raise awareness about the issue of plastic pollution. Without being able to touch a boat or another person, her daunting swim was estimated to take up to 32 hours to complete, through strong currents, large waves, powerful winds and other hurdles along the way. Against the Current is now screening at film festivals.

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Reiwa Uprising(2019)

Kazuo Hara follows Ayumi Yasutomi, a transgender candidate, who is also a Tokyo University professor, as she embarks on a national campaign for a seat in Japan's Upper House.

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Open Water(2023)

Nikki is no professional athlete. Still, she swims the English channel to raise money for a good cause.

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Water!(2012)

Raising children has never been a simple task.

3.0

Quad Gods(2024)

As the world’s first all quadriplegic esports gaming team, the Quad Gods are fierce competitors in this captivating story that challenges assumptions about disability, and spotlights the restorative power of resilience, passion and found community

5.0

The Original Mermaid(2002)

Story of Annette Kellerman, the international swimming vaudeville and silent screen star whose life story inspired the MGM classic Million Dollar Mermaid starring Esther Williams, which featured lavish Busby Berkeley scenes.

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Lifesaving and Water Safety: Snorkeling Skills and Rescue Techniques(1972)

The film provides a comprehensive guide on snorkeling skills and rescue techniques, emphasizing the importance of proper equipment such as masks, snorkels, and fins. It discusses how to choose the right mask for comfort and fit, the proper use of snorkels, and techniques for clearing water from both masks and snorkels. The film also covers essential skills for entering the water safely, practicing buddy systems during snorkeling, and techniques for locating and rescuing submerged victims. It highlights the need for training and emphasizes that while these skills are crucial for rescue, they do not replace the need for a full certified course in skin diving.

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