Unsyncable – Coming Soon
by Staff Editors
(September 26, 2023 – Toronto ON) It used to be called synchronized swimming, but in 2017 it was renamed artistic swimming. A group of participants in the sport drew the attention of award-winning Nova Scotia filmmaker Megan Wennberg. Known for films like Drag Kids and The Killing of Phillip Boudreau, and known for be drawn to unique characters, she decided to focus her camera on six senior artistic swimmers.
They make up an eclectic group. Their ages, at time of fiiming, range from 63 to 82. One is going for gold, another knows she’ll come last, and others are going for community and the love of their team. They will all push physical, emotional and societal boundaries to get there. Collectively, they have lost partners, suffered injuries and contended with ageist assumptions about what they can do. But through it all, they keep swimming and they do it with a smile.
They include synchro legend Sue Baross Nesbitt (68, pictured above), rookie Ellen Scott (63), Cris Meier-Windes (68) of the San Francisco Tsunami LGBTQ+ team, former marine Luther Gales (82) and his teammates Monica Hale (68) and Joyce Clarke (71) of the Harlem Honeys and Bears (North America’s only all Black artistic swimming team). Together these athletes are a testament to perseverance, the resilience of the human spirit, and our endless capacity for growth at any age.
“By jumping in the pool and pushing their limits every practice, Sue, Ellen, Cris, Monica, Luther and Joyce kick back against the expectation that getting older means slowing down and succumbing to our limitations,” says Director Megan Wennberg. “I hope they will inspire audiences to see aging in a new light – not as something to dread, but as something to aspire to as we all ‘rage against the dying of the light’ in our own unique ways.”
After 2 massively successful sold out screenings this past spring at Hot Docs, Unsyncable continues its festival run having screened this month at the Atlantic Film Festival, the Calgary International Film Festival and Lunenburg Doc Festival. Now, this feature-length documentary comes to the smaller screen and Vision TV on Monday October 9, at 9pm ET / 6pm PT.
Written and directed by Megan Wennberg, Unsyncable is produced by Tell Tale Productions with producer Edward Peill and producer Erin Oakes.
SOURCE & images: Tell Tale Productions
