Manal Issa (R) as Sara Mardini, and Nathalie Issa as Yusra Mardini in “The Swimmers.” Courtesy Netflix. Even when a story is happening halfway around the world, it can be instantly relatable. Take “The Swimmers” (now streaming on Netflix), about two Syrian sisters who try to save their family…

Refugees arrive at Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C. on Aug. 27, 2021 after being evacuated from Kabul following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images. CONCORD, Calif. — When I was in high school, I worked at a pizza parlor, where among making pizzas, mixing…