In today’s episode, Anna Smith talks to members of the the Girls On Film community about Nyad, starring Annette Bening and Jodie Foster, which tells the remarkable true story of athlete Diana Nyad.

An athlete turned journalist, Diana Nyad made an incredible vow when she turned 60. She was determined to become the first person to swim 110 miles from Cuba to Florida, without a shark cage. She was supported by a team including her best friend and coach Bonnie Stoll.

Directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, the film has a Best Actress Oscar nomination for Annette Bening as Diana, and Supporting Actress for Jodie Foster as Bonnie. The bond between Diana and Bonnie is beautifully depicted, whether they are sharing witty banter, second guessing each other or finding their strong friendship tested by Diana’s relentless and risky ambition. It’s the reason that Nyad is nominated for the Female Friendship on Screen award at the 2024 Girls On Film Awards.

In partnership with Netflix we arranged a special Girls On Film screening of Nyad, the feature written by Julia Cox, adapted from the memoir Find A Way by Diana Nyad. We invited some of the Girls On Film community to watch this extraordinary true story on the big screen, followed by a discussion about some of the themes of the film, including friendships between women, achieving your goals no matter what your age, and the great pleasure of seeing the story of two complex, older lesbian characters on screen in mainstream cinema.

Thanks to our partners for this episode, Netflix UK

Other films mentioned in this episode are:Black Panther: Wakanda ForeverBlindsightBooksmartChariots of FireFree SoloGirl PictureHow to Have SexA League of Their OwnPolite SocietyThe RescueShe SaidThe Silent TwinsThe SwimmersThelma and LouiseThe Woman King

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Host: Anna SmithExecutive Producer: Hedda ArchboldProducer: Charlotte MathesonAudio editor: Emma ButtHouse band: MX Tyrants

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