Meet Olivia Smart - the trailblazing filmmaker behind Black Stroke
Latest figures from Sport England report 87% of Black adults in the UK do not swim.
Filmmaker Olivia Smart is changing the narrative for the Black community by telling the story of three people’s eight-week journey to learn to swim with the support of Netflix
Olivia was selected from thousands of applicants to Netflix’s Documentary Talent Fund to direct and produce Black Stroke. The 12-minute film is available on Netflix’s YouTube channel
Olivia Smart on set of Black Stroke
In a recent interview with swimming.org, Olivia explained:
“There has long been a negative trope surrounding black people and their ability to swim – over the years they coined the phrase ‘black people can’t swim’ and some people within the community accepted it.
This, alongside misinformation that black people have heavier bones which impacted their inability to swim, became ingrained within the culture and the inability to swim was accepted by many.
I felt compelled to understand where this deep-seated fear within the black community came from when it came to swimming.
I wanted to tell the stories of three individuals all with differing barriers of entry when it comes to learning to swim to inform and educate others about the black experience and I think this film does just that.
Through making this documentary, I learnt that what connects us all is fear and if we find it in ourselves to overcome that, anything is possible.”
To hear more from Olivia during her interview with Sky News follow this link
The full Black Stroke documentary is available to stream on the Netflix, Still Watching YouTube channel.
Sources
“Olivia hopes her Netflix film Black Stroke will inspire people to take up swimming”, Swimming.org
“Netflix's Documentary Talent Fund recipient on important message behind Black Stroke”, Radiotimes.com
Photography – Etim Essien