THE UK’s youngest film director is basing his next work on the first British woman to swim the Channel.

Elliott Hasler, from Hove, started on his first film, Charlie’s Letters, when he was 14.

It follows the story of his great-grandfather, Charlie Standing, a private in the Second World War, as he trekked 400km over 18 months from Tuscany to Monte Cassino after leaving a prisoner of war camp alone.

Now 17, Elliott is to tell the story of Brighton-born swimmer Mercedes Gleitze.

Mercedes was born in 1900 and swam the channel in 1927.

The English Channel Swimming Association was initially suspicious of her achievement and refused to recognise it.

She agreed to a new attempt, dubbed the “vindication swim”, and although she did not complete it, it was enough to convince them to uphold her original success.

During her first swim Mercedes wore a Rolex Oyster watch, which was still working perfectly at the end.

The company then used her name to advertise it.

Elliott said: “It was a big achievement for a woman to overcome adversity and swim the Channel back then.

“I think there is an appetite for a feminist film now the world is talking about Harvey Weinstein and the Time’s Up movement.”

He is going to Film Expo South in Southampton on Monday, where he will present the idea for his film, titled Vindication Swim.

Elliott said: “Since this is a true Brighton story, we would love it to be a Brighton postcode film.

“I’d like to use only people from Brighton as actors, make-up artists and so on.”

Elliott is hoping to raise £50,000 to make the film, and is appealing to anyone who may have known or be related to Mercedes to contact him on elliott.hasler@relsah.co.uk.