Origin: Israel | Fiction | Director: Shai Carmeli-Pollak | 93 minutes

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The Sea

The film had its world premiere at the Jerusalem Film Festival on 21 July 2025. It won five Ophir Awards, including Best Film at the 2025 ceremony and was selected as the Israeli entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards.

Synopsis:
Khaled, a 12-year-old boy from a Palestinian village, is thrilled to join a school trip to see the sea for the first time. However, at an Israeli military checkpoint, soldiers declare his travel permit invalid and send him back, while his classmates continue on. Determined and heartbroken, Khaled sets out alone to reach the sea, despite not knowing the way or speaking Hebrew. His father, Ribhi, an undocumented laborer working in Israel, abandons his job and risks arrest to search for his missing son.

The film led with 13 nominations in the 36th Ophir Awards and ultimately won the award for Best Picture. The positive reception of the film and negative portrayal of IDF soldiers provoked Israel's culture minister Miki Zohar to announce the withdrawal of government funding to the awards ceremony.

Also read: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israeli-film-the-sea-ophirs-gaza-b2832004.html.

Other festivals and Awards:
Other Israel Film Festival 2025.

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View trailer