The Teacher Who Promised the Sea (2023) User Reviews

A modern-day classic

[amit1717 · 9/10 · 7 April 2024]

It was a privilege for me to witness this amazing piece of cinema at the Red Lorry Film Festival in Mumbai. The movie talks about a woman's search for the whereabouts of her ancestor, which happens to unearth (not pun intended) the story of a teacher who not only impacted several lives, but changed them forever.

The story is quite simple, yet powerful. It is a reminder of the damages done by wars and autocratic rules of the past, the effects of which still linger around. The portrayal is well-done, it keeps you glued to your seats till the very end, with a rollercoaster of emotions ensured.

The cinematography is excellent, the acting is fabulous and character development is done excellently. Some strong performances from all the main actors, especially Enric Auquer in the leading role. The movie has an aura that is reminiscing of classics like 'Life is Beautiful' and 'Malena'.

Simplicity is a great strength of this movie. For instance, the scene towards the end in which Antonio is shot dead is depicted in such a simplistic manner, devoid of any added drama, visual effects, cut scenes, or camera work, yet the impact is so tremendous and long-lasting that it stays with you long after leaving the cinema hall.

Overall - 9/10.

True Story Deserves Wider Exposure!

[danielparam · 10/10 · 18 May 2024]

I felt very lucky to discover this film on a Singapore Airllines flight! It tells the story of a beautiful progressive teacher, a follower of the little known and quite revolutionary "Frienet Method", who tries it out in a tiny village school in rural Spain. Bad timing! He comes up against the local priest, a died-in-the-wool authoritarian, and subsequently is ratted on to the incoming authoritarian government and troops of Franco, in the lead-up to the Spanish Civil War. He is beaten up, paraded almost lifeless before his young pupils, and subsequently murdered, and his body dumped, never to be found. The film rediscovers his story via the attempts of the great-grandaughter of one of his pupils to find her great-grandfather's own burial in a mass grave. I found it very moving and a great testimony to the humanity and spirit of this teacher. It deserves more attention and screening on the arthouse circuit at least, in the UK, Europe, and where I live in Australia. Unfortunately the "true story" book on which it is based does not seem to be available in Engish as yet.