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.