‘NYAD’ Directors Vasarhelyi, Chin On Making the Shift to Narrative Filmmaking For Nyad’s Inspirational Story

Awards Daily’s Clarence Moye sits down with directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (The Rescue, Free Solo) to discuss their new narrative feature NYAD. Starring Academy Award-nominee Annette Bening and Academy Award-winner Jodie Foster, the film tells the inspirational story of Diana Nyad who, in her 60s, made multiple attempts to swim from Cuba to Florida. Foster plays Bonnie Stoll, Nyad’s life-long friend and coach.

Vasarhelyi and Chin make the jump from documentary filmmaking to narrative features with this film. Here, they talk about the challenges and benefits of making that shift. They also reveal Nyad and Stoll’s story inspired them to undertake this project and bring their unique vantage point to the material.

Finally, Vasarhelyi and Chin talk about working directly with actors for the first time and how they balance that work between themselves.

NYAD is now available to stream on Netflix.