With a powerful new clip release, POV Shorts, L.A. TIMES STUDIOS and DOCUMENTARY+ announced today that they have boarded the festival favorite documentary short film A SWIM LESSON produced by Le Train Train Productions. 

A SWIM LESSON, co-directed by Grammy winner and Emmy® nominee Rashida Jones (Quincy, Hot Girls Wanted, Parks & Recreation) and Oscar® winner Will McCormack (If Anything Happens I Love You, Celeste & Jesse Forever), made its world premiere at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival and was presented at the recent Hamptons Film Festival to rousing responses. Produced by Emily Arlook and Nicole Emanuele, this insightful film is an ode to an everyday hero: Bill Marsh, a swim teacher who helps children discover their own power when submerged in an overwhelming unknown. 

Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1-4 in the United States. Marsh has taught thousands of kids and worked together with their parents and families to instill confidence and safety in their lives. 

“Swimming is the closest human beings will ever get to flying, and there is no greater joy (or fear) than watching your kid take the leap,” states co-director McCormack.

“Seeing a child learn how to swim is like witnessing a great opera and in this case, the maestro of this emotional orchestra is the inspiring swim instructor Bill Marsh. His dedication to these children is the parable we need, as these lessons uncover profound universal truths for all involved,” adds co-director Jones.

“This film offers the best combination of beautiful filmmaking, characters you’ll never forget and an important message for impact– it’s exactly the kind of film POV Shorts wants to platform and we’re so excited to do so in collaboration with L.A. Times Studios and Documentary+,” says Opal H. Bennett – executive producer for POV Shorts.

A SWIM LESSON is a beautifully told story of what it means to teach children to swim and overcome their fears,” said L.A. Times Executive Editor Terry Tang. “We are thrilled to feature the film in our L.A. Times Short Docs program and to be partnering with POV Shorts and Documentary+ to bring this outstanding story to a wider audience.”

“We are so excited for A SWIM LESSON to join our line-up of Documentary+ Originals,” states Bryn Mooser, CEO of Documentary+. “It  is one of those life changing documentaries. It’s inspiring, funny, heart-warming and has a lesson inside it for all of us.”  

After a busy festival schedule including Newport Beach Film Festival, Hot Springs, Ojai Film Festival and others, A SWIM LESSON is slated to have its national world broadcast premiere on POV on PBS on November 26, 2024, and streaming via POV.org and on the PBSApp.  On this same day, the film will be launched as an L.A. Times Short Doc on the Los Angeles Times YouTube Channel and latimes.com, and it will begin streaming on Documentary+ on December 27.   

A SWIM LESSON is produced by Le Train Train Productions and is presented in partnership with L.A. Times Studios and Documentary+. Rashida Jones and Will McCormack are the executive producers along with Terry Tang and Jason Spingarn-Koff for L.A. Times Studios; Justin Lacob, Bryn Mooser, and Hemant Teneja for Documentary; and Opal H. Bennett, Erika Dilday, and Chris White for American Documentary I POV Shorts. The film is produced by Emily Arlook and Nicole Emanuele for Le Train Train.