The Swedish Torpedo

"Swedish Torpedo" – an inspiring historical drama about dreams and determination.

In 1939, on the brink of World War II, 30-year-old single mother Sally Bauer longs to achieve something no European woman has ever done before – swim across the English Channel. But no one looks kindly upon her dream. Her family, especially her sister Carla, considers Sally’s ambition reckless, believing she should focus on raising her five-year-old son instead of pursuing daring sports goals. When Sally's first attempt – crossing the icy and stormy Kattegat Strait – ends in failure, she decides to abandon her dream and conform to societal expectations by enrolling in a housewife course in Helsingborg. However, her true nature cannot be confined – neither by narrow uniforms nor social norms.

When Sally eventually conquers the Kattegat Strait, beating a young top athlete named Hjalmar by ten hours, a new opportunity emerges. With sports journalist Henry, with whom she shares a secret romance, she starts looking for sponsors to fulfill her biggest dream – swimming across the English Channel. However, upon returning home, she faces a family convinced that Sally is an unfit mother. She is pressured into signing documents that would give custody of her son to the childless Carla.

Dreams and family drama intertwine when, the day before the swim, soldiers and admirals arrive at her hotel, warning that crossing the Channel is dangerous due to rising military tensions. Henry wants to call it off, but Sally refuses – she is ready to risk everything. Unexpectedly, Carla arrives, and the rift between the sisters begins to heal. Two days after Sally Bauer becomes the first European woman to swim the English Channel, World War II breaks out. Although she did not set a world record at that time, she achieved it twelve years later, proving her determination and perseverance.