She is the Italian swimmer who has won the most awards, an exceptional sporting career, enhanced by the fact that she is the first Italian Olympian in swimming (gold in Beijing 2008 in the 200 freestyle). A fairy tale, that of Federica Pellegrini, the “Divine”, which began with silver at the Athens Games in 2004 and illuminated by 53 international medals, of which 6 gold at the World Championships (eight times out of 8 on the world podium in the 200m) and 7 to the Europeans. The record number of a career that ended last summer with the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is impressive (to date unbeaten the world record of 200 sl). For two years Federica Pellegrini has pursued this last great sporting achievement. The perfect ending to an unrepeatable career: reaching – the first woman in the history of swimming – the fifth consecutive Olympic final in the same specialty.
It will be in Italian cinemas as an event release on 10, 11 and 12 January ‘Federica Pellegrini Underwater‘, the documentary film produced by Fremantle and distributed by Notorious Pictures that faithfully documents the strenuous approach to Tokyo 2020 and the much-desired final in’ his’ race, the 200m freestyle. A goal that will prove even more difficult than expected. Between grueling workouts, physical and psychological crises, the breakthrough of the pandemic in the course of preparation, redemptions and revenge, the Divine gets involved in front of the cameras as she had never done before.
Ma ‘Federica Pellegrini Underwater‘also tells a story that starts from afar, the story of a tenacious and introverted girl, strongly determined, with the support of her parents, to pursue her sporting dreams to become the greatest Italian swimmer of all time and one of the most phenomenal swimmers worldwide. An intimate story in which the most followed and celebrated Italian champion ever decides to also show her weaknesses, opening the doors of a secret dimension, hitherto jealously hidden: the relationship and love with the coach Matteo Giunta; and then, the indissoluble and profound bond with her parents, domestic joys and painful memories, such as the death of the coach who made her become a legend (Alberto Castagnetti) and the bulimia she went through during adolescence.
Past and present intertwine seamlessly, drawing a portrait from life that shows the behind the scenes of a company and a career out of the ordinary. The repertoire material – the races, the victories, but also the unpublished videos of her beginnings, shot at home with a VHS room – and the footage of Federica’s public and private life during the last two years make up a unique documentary film that it does not want to be purely celebratory, but above all personal and emotional. The original music by Federica Pellegrini Underwater were conceived and composed by Samuel, extremely prolific author and composer, artist with numerous collaborations to his credit, frontman and co-founder of Subsonica and founder of Motel Connection, with whom he made two soundtracks.