Swimmer is a poetic journey through the waterways and coastline of the British Isles, following a lone swimmer through lakes, rivers and coves. The journey is framed by a soundtrack of seminal British music, combined with a sound tapestry of hydrophonic recordings and snippets of bankside conversations. The film aims to give a real feel for the diversity of landscape and people of Britain.
The film also includes snippets of music and dialogue from several British films of the 60s and 70s, most notably Walkabout, Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, and Lord of the Flies.