“The Teacher Who Promised the Sea” is a film adaptation of a true story from Spain, portraying the genuine human nature and the brilliance of education. Set in the 1930s, Antonio arrives in the Burgos region with his own printing press, advocating for a teaching method of “free expression” to guide children in creating their own works.
“The Teacher Who Promised the Sea” depicts the story of teacher Antoni Benaiges in 1936 before the Spanish Civil War, who faced suspicions and accusations from the local residents for promoting teaching through “free expression”, which he believed in.
Director Patricia Font is amazed by Antonio’s “avant-garde” teaching method in a conservative era, remarking, “It’s crazy! I think he was very advanced for that era, maybe even more progressive than some teachers today. I have great respect for all educators, especially those who inspire us. I believe such teachers are crucial for our personal growth, the more of them, the better!”
The plot of “The Teacher Who Promised the Sea” unfolds in 1935, a turbulent time in Spain. Young teacher Antonio, played by Enrique Cuellar, arrives in a remote town in the province of Burgos with enthusiasm and innovative teaching methods that light up the children’s world and gradually transform the atmosphere of the town.
However, not everyone agrees with his unconventional teaching approach, facing opposition and doubts that make it increasingly difficult for him to fulfill his promise of taking the children to see the sea.
Seventy-five years later, Ariana, portrayed by Lea Costa, comes to the nearby town in search of her father’s remains on behalf of her grandfather and unexpectedly discovers a touching connection between her grandfather, who used to gaze at the sea daily, and Antonio.
“The Teacher Who Promised the Sea” is hailed as the Spanish version of “The Class of the Spring”. The crew hopes to pay tribute to all educators through this film, with many Spanish audiences suggesting it should be included as part of school curriculum, as it represents an unforgettable local history.
During the filming process, efforts were made to authentically recreate Antonio’s teaching environment in the Burgos region, including months of casting for child actors and involving an archaeology team to accurately recreate the settings.
The casting director conducted thousands of auditions and eventually chose three main child actors, providing them with history lessons to naturally and accurately portray this historical memory. The director shared, “Shooting with children is delicate because some scenes are very dramatic and they are young and have little knowledge about war, so we had to educate them on some background information.”
Furthermore, from the trailer, it is evident that the film delves into the historical memory of 75 years ago through the discovery of the “Las Pedrajas mass grave” in 2010. The crew personally visited the site and enlisted the original archaeology team to recreate the same size, arrangement of remains, and set design for authenticity. The director expressed gratitude to the team for enabling them to rebuild everything faithfully to reality.
“The Teacher Who Promised the Sea” has been nominated for five Goya Awards and is set to premiere in Taiwan on June 28th.