Marta Korycka: In “Star Wars” you had to work a lot with green screen, here there were a lot of shots in icy water. What was a bigger challenge?
I have to admit that there wasn’t as much green screen as it might seem – a lot of things were built, and only the space was added by computer. Being in the water is something that we certainly couldn’t fake in this way, but the director also said right away that he really wanted it not to seem fake. I think it would have been very difficult to achieve such an effect if we hadn’t actually shot in the ocean. The feeling of being small in an infinite mass of water – I can’t imagine how Trudy did it, after all she spent so many hours in it. I think we showed in the film the distance, the majesty of the ocean, evoking fear, excitement and a sense of the unknown. I think that’s why it looks so good on the screen, because we did it for real.
Is it true that you are afraid of swimming in open water?
Yes.
How did you deal with it?
When I met with the director and producers, I told them: “You know, I’m the only one who’s afraid of swimming in the sea”, which they treated as a joke, because why did I agree to play in such a film? I simply really wanted to play this role and I made an agreement with myself that I would fight against my mental limitations. I don’t like swimming in places where I can’t see the shore, so there were moments when this awareness overwhelmed me a bit, but I told myself that it wouldn’t stop me from shooting. When I got on the boat, a very supportive team was waiting for me – a hairdresser, a costume designer and a swimming coach, with whom I could relieve stress and prepare to enter the water again. That’s why on the set I managed not to show this fear, but sometimes when I got off it, I really asked myself: “What have I gotten myself into?”. Since we finished shooting, of course I haven’t gone into the sea, well maybe I got my toes wet. However, I’m proud of myself that I managed to do it on the set.
When we started working, I knew that the open water shoot was planned for nine days, but for me it was an eternity. Every evening I would say, “You have to do it tomorrow, and the day after that…” But I felt that I just had to focus on the next step. When I got into the water, I focused on getting the right speed, finding the right place so that the cameraman could shoot according to the vision, and I would say to myself, “One more move, one more move.” I also knew that I had people around me watching over my safety, but yes, I was scared and I would definitely not want to do it again. I have a lot of respect for people who do it, but the rule that if you try something, you will love it did not work for me. This experience gave me a lot of respect for Trudy, who did something that had not been done before – it was definitely a challenge for her, both physically and mentally.
What made you decide to play this role?
I got the script written by Jeff Nathanson based on the book by Glenn Stout and I fell in love with it – with Trudy, with the world, with her family and how much she had achieved. I hadn’t heard of her before but I was amazed by how she had overcome so many obstacles. When I spoke to the director Joachim Rønning we hit it off right away. I also really wanted to work with the producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Chad Oman, so everything clicked for me, but in the beginning there was Jeff’s beautiful script.
Trydy Ederle public domain /https://snl.no/
Not only did you star in the film “The Girl and the Sea,” but you’re also one of its producers. What attracts you to this job?
I initially came into the project as an actress, but the creative team drew me in. As an actress, you go into the project, you read the script, you get instructions on how to act, and that’s how you figure out what will fit and what won’t. As a producer – and I really like that – I see the whole thing. Here, it was very important to me that the story of Trudy and her sister Meg was at the center, and we talked about that a lot with the director. I also got to watch Jerry Bruckheimer work, which is an amazing experience.
Why might this story be important today, especially for young women?
You don’t always have control over when a film is released, but this one has worked out really nicely. The release coincides with the games, it’s a hundred years since Trudy’s feat, and I’m really happy that more people will learn who she was. As I said, I hadn’t heard of her before either.
I feel like the situation for women in sports has changed a lot over the last century, but we can often feel like we’re not where we should be. In recent years, there’s been a lot of talk about visibility, equal pay, how women are and should be present in sports. Besides, it’s also a film about joy, family and people who love each other. She was swimming, but they supported her every step of the way. Her sister was there for her despite all the difficulties. There’s a lot of joy and love here.
Why do you think Trudy has remained a relatively unknown figure to the general public over the years?
I think the fact that she was forgotten says a lot about the world we live in. Look at her story about being poisoned by her coach during her first attempt and the arguments she put forward: she swam for 10 hours without getting tired, but then she drank the tea they gave her and practically started drowning, then she slept for 18 hours. It’s hard to understand that she wasn’t believed. Even today I’m asked if it was true, people still question her words. I say: of course it’s true, if she said it. She knew her body, how it reacts to things, so it shouldn’t be true?
Sports Official James Sullivan [jest też jednym z bohaterów filmu – red.] openly said that he was against women’s right to vote, next to her were people who wanted women not to achieve success in sports. What she faced and what she achieved is all the more important and worth showing.
If Trudy were alive, what would you tell her?
I recently met someone who met her and she was very humble, nice and quiet. I think I would like to know more about the rest of her life. We know that she started teaching deaf children to swim. I wonder how she recalled the biggest welcome ever for an athlete in New York City when she came back with the record and then the transition to a life where she just got up and went to work every day. It was a huge change. Did she still swim? What was the hardest part of that journey for her?
What would you like viewers to take away from the screening, other than learning about Trudy’s incredible feat?
What I’ve noticed and heard lately after first viewings is a sense of joy – and that’s wonderful. People say they didn’t know the story, but also that they didn’t expect the film to make them feel that way. A lot of people say they cried, but they weren’t tears of sadness, but tears of joy. When I sat in the screening at the LA premiere, I could really feel them rooting for her when Trudy thought it was over. It was amazing. If anyone feels a little uplifted after watching the film, that’s great. Plus, a few people told me the film inspired them to take up swimming!
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
