Screening Date: 17 April 2025
Screening Time: 7pm
Release Date: 2023
Directors: Patricia Font
Country: Spain
Running Time: 105mins
Rating: M
Language: Spanish, Catalan
A woman goes searching for her family history and unintentionally discovers the true story of Antoni Benaiges, a Catalan teacher who brought progressive teaching methods from France to rural Spain in 1935. It is an emotional drama, traversing the past and present and shining a light on the power of education and collective memory. Tell all the teachers you know. They will love it.
The Teacher Who Promised the Sea traces two different stories, separated by 75 years. At its core is a vivid portrayal of how trauma can have continuing and serious effects on subsequent generations. The narrative structure, alternating between past and present, effectively illustrates how unresolved wounds from the past can shape future generations. Though largely set at the outset of the Spanish Civil War, in the wake of what’s going on in Gaza and Ukraine, “The Teacher Who Promised the Sea” has an enormous contemporary relevance.
“The film is a joy, despite such sadness…” Stephen Romei, The Australian.
