The Sand Castle

The events are anchored to the early 2020 period, reflecting the renewed migrant crisis around the Greece-Turkey border. February 2020 saw Turkish authorities encouraging asylum seekers to travel toward Greece, while Greek border forces intensified actions against crossings. The film uses this backdrop to frame the family’s peril and the political indifference shaping their fate.

Most of the narrative unfolds on a lifeboat at sea with Jana imagining Rabbits Island as a sanctuary. Rabbits Island, a real location in Mina, Lebanon, appears as a symbol of home amid displacement. The open ocean and a lighthouse symbolize isolation and the precariousness of refugees during cross-sea journeys. A rescue ship scene on the horizon situates the film within a harsh political backdrop.

💔 Trauma & Memory

The story threads trauma through Jana’s eyes as she witnesses loss—Yara’s death and the family’s collapse under the weight of conflict. Nabil’s guilt and Yasmine’s silent sacrifice anchor the emotional gravity, showing how past violence replays in the present. The memory of home becomes a haunting compass that guides or derails the family’s attempts to survive.

🌊 Survival

Survival is a constant tension aboard the lifeboat, where resourcefulness and endurance determine who stays afloat. The siblings’ bond and the struggle to reach safety underscore the physical and moral limits of endurance. The ocean itself stands as an unpredictable adversary that tests every decision.

🧠 Imagination & Coping

Jana compensates for trauma by building an imaginary world—turning the lifeboat into a lighthouse and Rabbits Island into a haven. This imaginative space sustains her sense of self and purpose when reality becomes untenable. The boundary between fantasy and memory blurs as hope flickers in the horizon.

👪 Family & Sacrifice

The film centers on a family whose love is tested by exile and peril. Nabil’s protective drive clashes with the inevitability of loss, while Yasmine embodies maternal sacrifice in the face of starvation and danger. Adam’s shift from child to protector highlights how families reorganize themselves under crisis.

🌐 Migration & Politics

The refugee journey is inseparable from political dynamics—borders, state interests, and international responses shape the family's fate. The narrative critiques how political agendas often override humanitarian needs, leaving individuals stranded. The crisis backdrop intensifies the personal tragedy at the heart of the story.