The film is produced by Relsah Films in association with Sea High Productions, Arden Entertainment and distributed by Picnik Entertainment. It was released in the UK and Ireland on 8 March 2024.[2]
Premise
Vindication Swim depicts the story of Mercedes Gleitze, who in 1927 became the first British woman to swim the English Channel. The film portrays Gleitze’s upstream struggle in overcoming both the cold waters of the English Channel and the oppressive society of 1920s Britain. However, after a rival comes forward claiming to have accomplished the same feat, Mercedes is forced into battle to retain her record and her legacy.[3]
It was announced in 2018 that Hasler was writing a screenplay based around Mercedes Gleitze's 1927 attempt to become the first British woman to swim the English Channel, and that he intended for this to be his next project following the completion of his first feature WWII: The Long Road Home.[6][7] John Locke was cast as Gleitze's coach, Harold Best, and sat in on auditions for the role of Gleitze.[8] Kirsten Callaghan was cast as Mercedes Gleitze in June 2019.[9]
Filming began on 12 August 2019 for the swimming sequences in the English Channel off the coast of Newhaven.[10] At the end of September, filming of on-land exteriors and interiors took place across Sussex, which was delayed multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11][12][13][14] Filming locations include Brighton, Eastbourne, Lewes, Hastings and Worthing.[15] Additional scenes were also shot in Birmingham. Filming eventually wrapped in June 2021.