Escaping to a desert island is often used as short-hand for any idyllic escape where the complexities of modern life wont be able to catch up to you. But what if it wasn’t so idyllic? That is the underlying premise behind Matty Brown’s new Netflix thriller The Sand Castle.
Starring Arab A-listers Ziad Bakri (Nabil) and Nadine Labaki (Yasmine) as husband and wife who are stranded on a picturesque island with their son and daughter, but find themselves grappling with a much darker reality bubbling beneath the surface. Palestinian actor Bakri speaks to Esquire Middle East.
ESQ: Nabil is a father determined to protect his family in the face of hopelessness. What was your experience bringing this character to life and capturing his resilience?
Ziad Bakri: Being a father means you cannot let despair take over. The role of a father is to be your family’s source of safety and warmth. Nabil’s character is like the fire that never goes out when the children are cold, and like the ship that carries them through storms. Even if he’s broken inside, he must show them strength and determination in everything he does. If the father gives up, the ship will sink and this is something you can see Nabil carries with him. He knows he cannot break, because he is the source of strength in his family, like many fathers in families facing big challenges and struggles in our region.
ESQ: How did you prepare for the physical and emotional depths of Nabil’s character in the film?
Ziad Bakri: Preparing for this role meant diving deep into Nabil’s mindset, and understanding his thoughts and feelings as he faces challenges, especially when protecting his family and the fear tied to that. It took time to connect with those emotional burdens and the background that shaped his character.
From a practical side, working with the team was key. We all worked hard to create a strong harmony between us to deliver a collective performance that reflects the deep and complex relationships between the characters, especially in the emotional scenes which needed focus and deep coordination.
ESQ: What were the biggest challenges or memorable moments during filming?
Ziad Bakri: The biggest challenge was creating Nabil’s character from all the stories of tragedy and suffering I’ve seen around the world, watching Syrians and Africans running for their lives.. People have lost so much and been left helpless in tough circumstances. I had to gather all those internal and external struggles and turn them into a real, living character on screen. Moving between all those painful dimensions and breathing life into them in a fictional world was a tough and very emotional test.
ESQ: How did you and Nadine Labaki work together to show the bond between Yasmine and Nabil?
Ziad Bakri: Nadine Labaki was very friendly and approachable in a way that immediately put me at ease. She created a comfortable environment that made working with her feel natural, as if we had known each other for years, even though it was the first time we met. When we danced, we shared the rhythm; when we felt pain, it was mutual. We laughed together, immersed ourselves in the details, and maintained a harmony that allowed us to express ourselves freely and authentically.
The Sand Castle releases on Netflix January 24, 2025.
