LANE 0: THE LANE OF DREAMS

Before the race, all swimmers look alike. But some come from places with little resources, hardly any sports culture, and in some cases not even a swimming pool.
Saturday 23 March Picture House doors 10.15am; ​film 10.45am
Directed by Manuel Tera | Documentary | Spain | English | 70 mins | U

A group of swimmers from developing nations train hard at a state of the art sports center in Thailand. Working for the first time with proper facilities and under the guidance of a world-class coach, they are making amazing progress and improving on their personal best each time. 

They have one year left in order to qualify for the Olympics. For most of them, it would be the first time somebody from their country gets through on their own merit. 

In a country full of inaccessible swimming pools, Shajan and Sajina are two Maldivian sisters who train in the sea. Nepalese Sofia can only swim during the summertime because there are no heated pools in the Himalayas. Eroi is a Rwandese boy who trains in a lake watching Internet videos.  These are just some of the characters of Lane 0, a story about those unknown athletes who race in the side lanes and always finish last. Now they are immersed in an experience that will change their lives forever.

FILMAKER: MANUEL TERA

Born in Seville (Spain), Manuel studied Journalism and Film. Manuel Tera began his career as an Assistant Director in TV series and feature films, and since then he's been directing and producing drama for television. Lane 0 is his first feature documentary.
 
Director Statement
Standing on the starting blocks just before the start of the race, all swimmers can look alike. But some of them come from places with little resources, hardly any sports culture, and in some cases no pools at all. They are standing there, but their race started way before they jump into the water. 
And then they finish last.
We were interested in these heroes who have to train in oceans or lakes and who struggle everyday to break boundaries and overcome many hurdles to achieve their dreams. We joined them in training and followed them to their competitions. Beyond the pool we discovered passionate human beings who face their daily obstacles with a smile and whose very first success lies in touching the wall having given their best. 
And then maybe comes the medals.