The film "The Sea," which tells the story of a Palestinian child's life in Israel, won the country's prestigious "Ophir" award and was recognized as the best film of the year. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
This film is planned to represent Israel in the "Best International Feature Film" category at the 2026 "Oscar" awards. However, Culture Minister Miki Zohar criticized this decision, emphasizing that state funds should not be allocated to the film industry.
According to the minister, awarding the film could be interpreted as an insult to Israeli soldiers. The film depicts the dream of a 12-year-old Palestinian boy living in the West Bank to see the sea.
He tries to go to Tel Aviv but is stopped at a checkpoint. Nevertheless, he secretly enters Israel and attempts to find his father, who is working there.
Thirteen-year-old Muhammad Ghazzawi, who played the lead role in the film, won the "Best Actor" award, becoming the youngest actor to receive this prize. In response to the culture minister's remarks, Asaf Amir, chairman of the Israeli Academy of Film and Television, emphasized that amid the severe consequences of the Gaza war, the film raises hope to feel the pain of the opposing side.
At the same time, thousands of Hollywood creators announced a boycott of Israeli film institutions. They accuse Israel of committing genocide.
The United Nations investigative commission also accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. However, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected these claims, describing them as unfounded and false.
