The first Gay Games took place in 1982 in San Francisco, and it drew more than 1,300 competitors from around the world. Not long after, the West Hollywood Aquatics Club was formed, the first openly gay swim and water polo club. This dedicated group of men and women would go on to shatter both world records and homophobic stereotypes. When the relay team was dissed by their rivals as “the fag team,” they vowed to crush them. “And we did!” one swimmer happily recalls. Light in the Water is a story of family, empowerment, and survival in the early years of the AIDS crisis. As the club saw its success grow, it grieved as members were cut down in their prime. Covering four tumultuous decades, filled with wonderful and bittersweet memories — and lots of beauties in Speedos — this is a deep dive into an unexplored corner of LGBTQ history.

Director Lis Bartlett