Through the paradox of the Dead Sea – where the excessive salinity rids the environment of life, yet creates a buoyancy that makes it near-impossible to drown – short film Salt considers how strength and perseverance are found amid conflict, drawing parallels with the everyday realities of life in Palestine. Shooting in Jordan, Polish writer-director Mateusz Miszczynski travelled to the Dead Sea basin with a small crew, capturing the story of two Palestinian teenagers as they float on the Dead Sea, soaking up the sun's warmth.

Inspired by the words of poet Mahmoud Darwish, the film uses poetic language to enter a realm caught between a dream state and the tangible world – exploring this unique environment as a mirror of the political landscape that runs alongside it. Connecting with the spirit of the Palestinian people through visual symbolism and allegory, Miszczynski and cinematographer Jakub Stoszek sought to angle away from images of war, instead using the language of film to express their solidarity.

“The 'deadliness' of the Dead Sea paradoxically sustains life by bringing it to the surface. The deeper it goes into the depths of the sea, the greater the force that pushes it upwards. This juxtaposition, to me, mirrors the complex and resilient nature of life in Gaza.”

Layering a quiet, uncomplicated story with vivid imagery – captured on Kodak motion picture film – Miszczynski explores how memories of simple pleasures often center the poetry that emerges from tragedy and loss of freedom. From the soft haze cast by the sun’s rays, to breaking open a watermelon, the unremarkable becomes a mark of a different time, carrying its own sense of escapism.