Against the Tides, a film produced by Red Rock Entertainment, is to be screened on March 8 for International Women’s Day 2021 and has been featured on the event's global website for the year.
Directed by BAFTA-nominated filmmaker Stefan Stuckert, Against the Tides is a poignant documentary that chronicles the story of marathon swimmer and world record holder Beth French, a single British mother battling against Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome while caring for her autistic son, Dylan.
Seeking to prove to her child that anything in life is possible, Beth attempts to swim Oceans Seven, the ultimate extreme swimming challenge consisting of the seven most dangerous sea channels in the world which few people have ever completed.
Endeavouring to become the first person to complete the challenge in one year, Beth’s mission took her all over the world and saw her pitted against jellyfish, sharks, hypothermia, challenging weather conditions, her own bodily limitations, and her inner demons. It took Beth five years to prepare for the Oceans Seven attempt, providing the funding herself through her own personal savings and a community crowdfunding project.
Beth became the first person, and only woman, to swim the 26 miles from Cornwall to the Isles of Scilly, and the first British woman to complete the 28-mile Molokai channel and swim it twice. She is also a co-world record holder for completing four of the Oceans Seven swims in one year following the attempt. Today, she continues to travel with her son and is a regular speaker at public events as well as training in several outdoor sports.
The film enjoyed its world premiere at the prestigious International Sheffield Documentary Festival Sheffield and was nominated for Best Documentary at both the 2019 Austin and Marbella Film Festivals, as well as scooping the Filmic Prize at the Nordic Adventure Film Festival in Copenhagen. The documentary also received critical acclaim from TV presenter Lorraine Kelly and was described as “incredibly poignant” by the London Evening Standard.
This year, alongside its listing on the International Women’s Day site, Against the Tides has been awarded a four-star review by Film Review Daily and named Film of the Month by Psychologies magazine in its April 2021 edition, who commented that the documentary was “beautifully shot, moving and exhilarating”.
The recognition of the film by International Women’s Day constitutes a proud moment for producers Red Rock Entertainment, a company whose workforce is made up of 90 per cent women.
Against the Tides is already available on demand in the UK, Ireland, US and Canada, and will be released on demand in Australia and New Zealand on March 8.
