Palestinian Film ‘The Sea’ Screened at IFFK Despite Ban, Highlights Occupation

Viewers who watched the Palestinian film 'The Sea' at the Nishagandhi open theatre would likely have been reminded, at least once, of the liberation slogan “From the river to the sea.” The slogan symbolises the Palestinian people’s deep-rooted hope for freedom from occupation in the land stretching from the Jordan river to the Mediterranean sea, and for the establishment of an independent state where people of all ethnicities and religions enjoy equal rights.

In the film, while his friends plan a trip to see the sea, twelve-year-old Khalid is unable to join them because he lacks permission from Israeli authorities. Despite military tanks at the border and restrictive laws standing in the way of his dream, Khalid leaves home determined to see the sea. His father, Ribi, who sets out in search of his missing son, is another central character. The parallel journeys of the father and son form the emotional core of the film.

The sea, where Palestinians’ ancestors once freely fished and played in the waves, is now under complete Israeli control. The film poignantly portrays the plight of a people who must wait for permission even to glimpse the sea lying next to their own land. Israeli director Shai Carmelli-Pollak powerfully exposes through his cinema the Israeli state’s systematic suppression of the Palestinian people and their dreams.

For Khalid, who travels from his impoverished village of grey, crumbling houses into a landscape of gleaming skyscrapers in Israel, the experience feels like entering a surreal world. This contrast is not merely visual—it represents the brutal reality of occupation. Through striking imagery, the director illustrates how Israel stifles Palestinian development and aspirations by drawing invisible lines, erecting linguistic and administrative barriers, and enforcing rigid separations. Khalid’s look of wonder ultimately becomes a portrait of rights denied to an entire people.

The Sea, which was denied screening permission by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, was showcased at the film festival following special intervention by the state government. Many viewers questioned why a film that speaks about such brutal realities unfolding in one corner of the world should be banned in Kerala. Festival-goers at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) reiterated that those who fear cinema are those attempting to bury the truth, and that freedom of expression knows no boundaries.