Parting the Waters is a new feature-length documentary about former Israeli Olympic swimmer Michele Kuvin Kupfer, who returned to competition at the 2022 Maccabiah Games more than 40 years after representing Israel on its 1980 Olympic swim team.
The film had its world premiere on August 8th at the Oscar-qualifying Rhode Island International Film Festival, where it won Best Documentary Feature.
The documentary was co-directed and produced by Kupfer, Emmy-nominated filmmakers Marc Salomon and Marc Levy, and Telly Award–winning filmmaker Austin Kase. Emmy-nominated filmmaker Lisa A. Hedley was the executive producer.
Here is the documentary’s official teaser trailer
Kupfer was part of the 1980 Israeli Olympic swim team and the 1981 Maccabiah Games, where she went through a “coming of age”.
In an interview with the Digital Journal, Kupfer explains the documentary as her “journey from elite athlete to masters swimmer, it also dives into the larger story of Jewish identity, resilience, and community, and shows that it’s never too late to find your light.
Fast-forward 40 years, and in the midst of her own personal loss and struggle, she attempts to reconstitute some of her former teammates and compete once more at the 2022 Maccabiah Games.
The film leans on her individual life stories. Kupfer’s evolution from young swimmer to master’s athlete forms the backbone of the documentary, while Jewish life experiences in the U.S. and Israel provide context through the cross-generational language of sports.
Kupfer studied at Indiana University before spending her junior and senior years at Hebrew University. She went on to receive her Master of Science from Syracuse University. She gained professional experience treating youth psychosocial challenges in hospitals throughout the United States and Israel as they pursued greater independence.
The story of Parting the Waters merges competitive swimming with Jewish identity exploration alongside themes of intergenerational bonding and resilience.
To find out more about the film, visit www.partingthewatersfilm.com or visit the Parting The Waters Instagram.
So very moving. Can’t wait to see the whole film!
Looks interesting enough to give it a watch, even if it’s self-produced. Need more swim movies, or maybe a behind the scenes series look at competitive D1 swimming like Full Swing or Hard Knocks. Anything to draw eyes on the sport and the dedication it takes at that level.