Disney+’s new biopic 'Young Woman and the Sea' spotlights the first woman who conquered the channel
There are many women whose remarkable achievements made them an important part of history, but one woman whose feat is not celebrated enough is Gertrude “Trudy” Ederle. But Disney is here to shed some light on her story with the upcoming biographical drama film Young Woman and the Sea.
The film explores the extraordinary true story of Trudy as she became the first woman to successfully swim the English Channel, a narrow arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the island of Great Britain from the rest of Europe.
An ultimate underdog story, Young Woman and the Sea traces the accomplished singer’s roots on how she overcame the animosity of a patriarchal society to rise through the ranks of the Olympic swimming team and complete a 21-mile trek from France to England.
Telling the untold icon
In an interview with PhilSTAR L!fe, director Joachim Rønning believed Trudy's accomplishment deserved wider recognition, a significant milestone for women's participation in sports.
“I'm always looking for a story that captures me, that has the emotions, the drama, the fun of a movie that I want to see, and I really believe that the story of Trudy Ederle has all of that,” Rønning underscored.
“At the same time, it's such an important story to tell. It's always important to know your history and where we are coming from, and she paved the way for women in sports 100 years ago that still resonates today. So for me, that was important to tell the world,” he added.
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer, meanwhile, described Trudy as “somebody who got lost in time.”
“She’s the first woman to ever cross it and beat the men's record by two hours and that's something that I think people should remember,” he said.
“It's a very entertaining, emotional movie because they all tried to stop her from doing what she was doing because she was a woman. And just the triumph of her will won the day and she actually became a world champion,” he continued.
Finding the right actress
With such an accomplished figure in the spotlight, it is only proper that an equally talented actress be cast to give justice to her biopic. Rønning and Bruckheimer found the right fit in Daisy Ridley.
Ridley rose to prominence for her role as Rey in the Star Wars sequel trilogy: The Force Awakens in 2015, The Last Jedi in 2017, and The Rise of Skywalker in 2019.
She’s also no stranger to making films that would tug at your heartstrings, as she previously starred in many dramas such as Sometimes I Think About Dying and Ophelia.
Rønning knew from day one that Ridley was the perfect person to take on this challenge. Her established talent as an actress, along with her "tremendous strength," made her the perfect choice for the titular role.
“I was looking for that, it needed to be plausible that she could actually swim the channel,” he told L!fe. “We were so lucky to get her, and she proved it on a daily basis. She was in that water until her lips were blue and I had to drag her out of there. Week in and week out on the open ocean.”
It was paramount for Rønning to find an actress who could handle these highlights of Trudy’s story with such capability, and Ridley is “the perfect fit for it.”
Bruckheimer shared that Ridley had to spend three months with an Olympic trainer to learn how to swim like one, and throughout all of this, she had to deal with the cold ocean waters in Bulgaria.
But Bruckheimer had complete faith in her, saying, “You see how tough she is and how smart she is, what a wonderful actress she is, and how physical she is. And she has very broad shoulders, which a lot of swimmers have.”
As Young Woman and the Sea swims its way to Disney+ on July 19, Rønning hopes that audiences will be able to appreciate “a true story about the remarkable human being” that is Trudy.
