Alayan's 'Conversation With the Sea' Debuts in Doha

Jerusalem-based director Muayad Alayan is bringing his drama "Conversation With the Sea" to the Middle East for the first time at the Doha Film Festival. The film, which previously screened at the Venice and Toronto film festivals, will show its Arab audience debut during the event running from Nov. 19 to Nov. 27. Alayan noted that the Doha Film Institute is a major supporter of Palestinian cinema.

The film stars veteran actor Kamel El Basha as Kamal, an elderly baker living in the Old City of Jerusalem. Kamal receives a court order demanding payment of a substantial social security debt attributed to his son, Wael. Wael drowned in the Red Sea decades earlier, yet official records indicate he is still alive. El Basha, who won the best actor prize at Venice in 2017 for "The Insult," has collaborated with Alayan on nearly all of his feature films since they first met more than 20 years ago.

The plot is based on a real incident involving Alayan's family. His father-in-law and wife received an injunction from the Israeli social security service for money allegedly owed by Alayan's late brother-in-law. The man had died by drowning more than 20 years prior, but the system listed him as taxable and alive. The family was required to prove his death to clear the debt. Alayan's father-in-law traveled to a hospital to obtain the necessary documents.

Alayan waited a year before writing the story, promising his family he would fictionalize the events enough to obscure their specific identity. He described the incident as representative of the pressure Palestinians in Jerusalem face. He said the system is not designed by them or their representatives and uses taxation and specific laws to push residents out of the city.

Shooting in Jerusalem required a very small crew to avoid detection. The production took place shortly after a ceasefire. Because it was a Palestinian production, the team dressed as a documentary crew to bypass the need for filming permits, which Alayan said would have been difficult to obtain.

The film’s release comes shortly after Israeli elections. Gadi Eisenkot, the main rival to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has the opportunity to form a coalition with support from Arab parties. Alayan observed that the elections forced Israeli society to confront the presence of nearly two million Palestinians living in Israel with citizenship. He argued that political leaders can no longer ignore this population because they vote and hold weight in the political system.

Alayan stated that some Israeli parties are reluctant to join a government that is occupying their fellow Palestinians' lands. He identified a potential stalemate in the coalition talks. However, he said that many in the anti-Netanyahu camp hope the parties will cooperate for a period to ensure Netanyahu leaves power.

Alayan said these bureaucratic incidents are increasing but are often overlooked because of the ongoing conflict. He described the situation as a subtle yet tormenting pressure cooker. He noted that the film aims to represent these specific tensions that occur on a daily basis in Jerusalem.