Palestinian producer of the Israeli film The Sea, Baher Agbariya, shared with Cinehill audiences his experience of working on a project that has generated considerable controversy. While, on the one hand, the film has garnered awards, on the other, it has been met with divided public response.
Responding to a question about how he came to know the film’s director, the Israeli filmmaker Shai Carmeli-Pollak, Agbariya noted that they had known each other previously through shared activism for Palestine, adding that immediately after reading the script he wanted to find out who was the person behind the text. He also addressed the film’s funding by Israeli institutions, which led many to call for a boycott.
“As a Palestinian, I can understand the boycott. Still, you need to watch the film and see what it is actually about – for us it is about the story, the topic, and the project. The dynamic on set was fantastic”, said Agbariya.
He stressed that it is not about fear of a boycott, because even when someone dislikes your work, what matters most is standing behind what you believe to be right. Asked whether films, in fact, should be a vessel for activist messages, he replied that he has no love for art that takes no stance, and that he values work which speaks out about important topics.
He identified the greatest value of any story to be its potential, through its simplicity and truthfulness, to reach even the people with opposing political views. In making films, it is precisely for this reason that he always chooses an approach that pits “ordinary people” against the system.
“You need to find a story you believe in. We are not one with the system”, said Agbariya.
The panel closed with mention of his next film project, which will also engage with themes of oppression, centring on boys on a mission in a wartime setting.
