The Sea

Local title
Meri
Original title
El Bah’ar
Director
Shai Carmeli-Pollak
Country
Year
2025
Festival
29th Black Nights Film Festival
Programme
Genre
Subject

A Palestinian boy tries to reach the Mediterranean Sea for the first time in his life.

Khaled, a 12-year-old boy from a Palestinian village, gets the chance to see the sea for the first time in his life on a school trip. But when they reach a military checkpoint, the soldiers claim his permit is invalid and send him back home, while his classmates continue their trip. Deeply disappointed, Khaled sets out to the sea on his own, even though he doesn’t know the way and doesn’t speak Hebrew. When his father, Ribhi, an undocumented labourer working in Israel, learns that his son is missing, he leaves his job in search for him – risking arrest and the loss of his livelihood.

The film had its world premiere at the Jerusalem Film Festival and won five Ophir Awards, including Best Film. “The Sea” was selected as the Israeli entry for the Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards.

Director
Shai Carmeli-Pollak
Screenwriter
Shai Carmeli Pollak
Cast
Muhammad Gazawi, Khalifa Natour, Marlene Bajali, Hilla Sarjon, Gabriel Horn
Producer
Baher Agbaria
Cinematographer
Shai Goldman
Production Design
Bashar Hassuneh
Editing
Yosef Grunfeld
Music
Avi Belleli
Production
Majdal Films
World sales
Majdal Films
Runtime
Language
Subtitles
Other festivals
Jerusalem
Director
Shai Carmeli-Pollak

Screenings

Screening070820 / Meri
SubtitlesEnglish
Q&A guestsBaher Agbaria (Producer)
Q&A duration
Screening duration
Screening091216 / Meri
SubtitlesEnglish
Screening duration
Hall 1 Kino Artis
Screening171616 / Meri
SubtitlesEnglish
Screening duration
Trailer