The Swedish artistic swimming team swims with British stars in a new film

Two weeks ago, filming of the comedy “Swimming with Men” began in Great Britain.

The film is a feature film version of Dylan Williams' 2010 documentary Men Swimming, about the members of the Stockholm Kunstsem Heer artistic swimming team.

The lead role in the British comedy is played by Rob Brydon, known for The Trip, among others, and also starring Rupert Graves and Jim Carter – who is perhaps best known to Swedish television audiences as the stern butler Mr. Hans. Carson from Downton Abbey.

The project started six years ago

According to Sam Victorin, head of Stockholm Konstem Herr, the project actually began six years ago, when British film company Met Film – which co-produced “Men who swim” – bought the rights to the story.

– They were so enamored with this story that they bought the rights to make a fictionalized version of it, and then we had to sign an agreement not to sell our story to anyone else. The deal was only valid for five years, but was not welcomed by other offers, and now they have managed to get financing for the film together.

Next weekend, Stockholm Konstasem Hair will go to the UK to film scenes for the film, two of which will be filmed with British actors, according to Sam Victorin.

-We will swim our routine and do some other things. And then we'll be at the awards ceremony, where British actors are also attending.

“A bit complicated”

In Swimming with the Men, British actors play the original team, while Stockholm Kunstsem Herr plays a Swedish team competing against the British, Sam Victorin tells Kulturnyheterna.

The story in the film is about a British team and now when we go there and film, we do it as a Swedish team. The film is based on our history, but now we're getting there from the outside, so it's a little complicated.

Swimming with Men is expected to premiere in 2018. It is currently unclear whether it will be distributed in Sweden.