Archive · 16 Sep 2026
‘Conversation With the Sea’ Trailer Reveals Palestinian Jerusalem Drama
The film follows a 60-year-old Palestinian man in Jerusalem.
An Israeli court says he must pay money that his son supposedly owed.
The son drowned in the Red Sea many years ago.
However, there is no official paper proving that the son died.
The man travels around Jerusalem to find proof and end the debt.
Along the way, he meets government workers, soldiers and armed settlers.
The story shows some of the everyday pressures Palestinians face in the city.
The movie was directed by Muayad Alayan and stars Kamel El Basha.
Muayad Alayan’s Jerusalem-set drama will have its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival after debuting in Venice.
Kamel El Basha plays a 60-year-old Palestinian man ordered by an Israeli court to pay his deceased son’s alleged social security debt.
The son reportedly drowned in the Red Sea years earlier, but authorities have no official record of his death.
The man travels across Jerusalem seeking proof of the death while encountering Israeli bureaucrats, soldiers and armed settlers.
The Palestinian, Netherlands, Saudi Arabian and Qatari production is represented internationally by Mad World.
- Who
- Palestinian director Muayad Alayan and actor Kamel El Basha, who plays the central character.
- What
- A trailer was released for Conversation with the Sea, a Jerusalem-set drama about a Palestinian man trying to prove his son’s death and clear an alleged debt.
- When
- The film is scheduled for its North American premiere on Wednesday at the Toronto International Film Festival, after debuting in Venice.
- Where
- The story is set in Jerusalem; the film is premiering in Toronto.
- Why
- The man seeks official proof of his son’s death after an Israeli court orders him to pay a social security debt allegedly owed by his son.
- Film
- Conversation with the Sea
- Director
- Muayad Alayan
- Lead actor
- Kamel El Basha
- Central conflict
- A Palestinian man must prove his son’s death to challenge an alleged social security debt.
- North American premiere
- Toronto International Film Festival
- Previous premiere
- Venice
- Production countries
- Palestine, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and Qatar
- International sales
- Mad World