The Teacher Who Promised The Sea

In 1935, Antoni Benaiges is hired as a teacher in a small, isolated village in Burgos, Spain. There, he establishes an intense relationship with his students, a group of young boys and girls between the ages of six and twelve, to whom he makes a promise: to take them to see the sea for the first time in their lives. 75 years later, Ariadna (Laia Costa), the granddaughter of one of those students discovers that her grandfather has been searching for his father’s remains, who disappear during the Civil War. Determined to help him, she travels to Burgos, where a mass grave is being exhumed and where he might be buried. During her stay there, she learns about Antoni Benaiges, the young professor from Tarragona who taught his grandfather before the war.

Reviews

Auquer delivers a performance of moving delicacy and tenderness (...) Font treats Benaiges’ relatives with the utmost respect (...) A very sad and terrible story, a very beautiful film. (Enid Román Almansa: Cinemanía)

Awards

2024 | Cinema Writers Circle Awards, Spain | CEC Award to Best Actor Nominee - Enric Auquer; CEC Award Best Supporting Actress Nominee - Luisa Gavasa; CEC Award Best Score Nominee - Natasha Arizu del Valle 2024 | 38th Goya Awards | Best Supporting Actress Nominee - Luisa Gavasa; Best Lead Actor Nominee - Enric Auquer; Best Adapted Screenplay Nominee - Albert Val; Best Costume Design Nominee - María Armengol; Best Original Score Nominee - Natasha Arizu del Valle 2024 | San Jordi Awards | Rosa de Sant Jordi Audience Award to Best Spanish Film Nominee 2024 | Gaudí Awards | Best Male Lead Nominee - Enric Auquer; Best Adapted Screenplay Nominee - Albert Val; Best Costume Design Nominee - María Armengol; Best Makeup and Hairstyles Nominee - Patricia Reyes; Best Production Design Nominee - Josep Rosell; Best Non-Catalan Language Film Nominee; Audience Award Winner - Patricia Font 2024 | Feroz Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominee - Enric Auquer; Best Actress in a Supporting Role Nominee - Luisa Gavasa