Synopsis
14-year-old Zain, a Palestinian swimming champion, faces war and man-made famine. He becomes the sole caregiver to his little brother. When aid drops into the sea, desperate for food, Zain is forced to swim—not for passion, but for survival.
About
This is a graduation film from Les Gobelins. In 2026, the film won the BAFTA Student Film Award for Animation, an international prize that celebrates the work of the next generation of talented and innovative storytellers from around the world (https://www.bafta.org/programmes/bafta-student-awards/)
The pitch. Zain Orouq, a 14-year-old Palestinian swimming champion, whose only dream was once to reach the finishing line, is now making his way through a chaotic crowd at a food distribution point. His small body weaves between desperate hands and raised voices, all pleading for a simple meal. But just as he reaches the front of the queue, the volunteer announces that the aid has run out for the day. Zain heads back to his tent in the camp, an empty pot in his hand. He takes a deep breath before going inside, and is warmly welcomed by his 6-year-old little brother, Nour, who had been playing with a stray cat and Zain’s old swimming goggles. (https://www.gobelins.fr/actualites/gauze-film-de-fin-etudes)
Further reading
Produced in 2025 as part of the graduation film programme at Gobelins by five young filmmakers from around the world, *Gauze* is based on the tragic story of Zain Orouq, a young Palestinian swimmer who died in 2024 whilst attempting to retrieve humanitarian aid that had fallen into the sea. It took the team a year to adapt this tragedy into an animated film, taking great care to convey as accurately as possible the distress experienced at that very moment by the children of Gaza. This tension between the detached nature of the storytelling and the raw reality of the subject matter lends the film a unique gravity.
