Breathe Again

Orderson’s film about his uncle, gifted 1980s swimmer Derek Orderson, is both homage and history lesson, a window into a time of sports bans and frustrated dreams. In 1985, Mitchell’s Plain local Derek clocked a 100 metre freestyle time that was just two seconds under the world record. Many believe he would have won gold at the Olympics, but it was the time of South Africa’s sporting isolation and he never got the chance. Orderson’s film uncovers the story of a man and a nation in turmoil. What emerges is a portrait of a man at peace with himself, his past and his world.