Hend Sohails A Promise to the Sea is a powerful and unflinching exploration of grief, loss, and love. Having its Arab Premier at the 7th El Gouna Film Festival, this Egyptian short drama offers a unique perspective on mourning, one that lingers long after the credits roll. Sohail’s directorial debut showes the often irrational and chaotic nature of grief.
The plot centers on Zain, played by Nabil Botros, who takes a drastic step to deal with his mother’s passing. During the funeral preparations, he steals her body. He drives away from his hometown. He sets off on an unpredictable journey in search of what he believes will be the perfect goodbye for her. The concept is bold, but it feels grounded in the raw, unpredictable nature of grief.
What makes A Promise to the Sea stand out is its approach to the emotional chaos of loss. Rather than focusing on a structured narrative of healing or closure, Sohail presents Zain’s journey as a reflection of the emotional turmoil that grief often brings. Zain’s actions, including the reckless road trip with his mother’s body, mirror what it feels like to lose someone: irrational, impulsive, and incomprehensible to others. But the film rings true to the universal experience of mourning, where logic often takes a backseat to the overwhelming weight of emotions.
Talaan’s performance is one of the film’s strongest aspects. He plays Zain with a quiet intensity, capturing the complexities of a young man lost in his grief. There are no grand speeches or overt emotional outbursts. Instead, Talaan allows his character’s suffering to unfold through subtle gestures and expressions. Zain’s silence speaks volumes, conveying the suffocating weight of his sorrow. Talaan’s ability to show the fragility of Zain’s mental state without saying much makes his performance both captivating and relatable.
The film also delves into the ways love manifests in the wake of loss. Zain’s relationship with his mother, even after death, remains central to the narrative. The moments between them speak to a bond that goes beyond the physical. Zain’s actions are not those of a man who has simply lost his mother, but of someone trying desperately to have a bonding moment with her that will live on within him.
Sohail’s film avoids the typical tropes of grief. It does not offer a neat resolution or healing arc. Instead, it allows the pain to linger, much like the process of mourning itself. The fact that the film ends with a serene moment y is one of the film’s strengths. Grief doesn’t always resolve, and A Promise to the Sea acknowledges that some wounds never fully heal. What A Promise to the Sea does exceptionally well is challenge the way we expect grief to be portrayed on screen. The film does not provide catharsis or an easy way out, but rather takes an honest look at the messiness of human emotions when faced with tragedy. Sohail’s direction is confident, unflinching, and deeply empathetic toward the character’s suffering.
As a debut feature, it’s a striking achievement. The film is intimate, raw, and introspective, offering a new way of understanding how grief can consume a person. Nabil Botros Talaan’s performance is unforgettable. He anchors the film with a depth of emotion that makes Zain’s journey feel intensely personal and universal at the same time.
A Promise to the Sea is a film that stays with you. It doesn’t offer easy answers but invites the viewer to sit with the complexity of loss, love, and the absurdity that sometimes accompanies both.