Slovenia is shaped like chicken

The film Big River Man follows Martin Strel in his quest to swim the length of the Amazon river. Strel, however, is far from what you would picture as an endurance athlete. Infamous in his native Slovenia, Strel is 53 years old, overweight (5-foot-9, 253 pounds), and drinks two bottles of wine a day. His previous accomplishments include swimming the Mississippi, the Danube, and the Yangtze, all to bring attention to the world’s polluted waterways. During his swims, Strel has encountered deadly rapids and whirlpools, water predators, and toxic pollution and bacteria (including floating corpses in the Yangtze). Strel’s latest adventure is led by his son, who serves as Strel’s manager, logistician, promoter, and as the swimmer himself in interviews with Western media. Strel’s chosen navigator is a young, American friend of his, whose river navigating skills are limited to finding fishing holes in his native Wisconsin. Over the course of 66 days, history's longest, most perilous swim takes its toll on Strel mentally as well as physically as the filmmakers deftly draw the audience into the world of these colorful characters and their extraordinary expedition.