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The Sand Castle is a Netflix film from 2025, directed by Matty Brown and featuring Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, and Riman Al Rafeea. The film depicts a family trapped on an isolated island, fighting for survival while dealing with the island's erratic surroundings.
The movie examines themes of solitude, perseverance, and human strength, with the environment significantly influencing the storyline. The Sand Castle debuted on Netflix on January 24, 2025, allowing a worldwide audience to watch it through streaming.
The settings depicted in The Sand Castle are crucial for the film’s storyline. To match the film’s tone, the island depicted in the movie was kept real. While the story unfolds in an isolated island setting, the actual filming locations in Lebanon provide the necessary backdrop to bring the visuals to life without relying heavily on artificial sets.
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The Sand Castle filming locations overview
The Sand Castle was primarily shot in Lebanon. The production took place on Rabbits Island, the largest of the Palm Islands Nature Reserve, located near El Mina. This location was chosen to depict the isolated setting.
Palm Islands Nature Reserve, El Mina, Lebanon
The film was shot in Lebanon, which is also the country of its origin. The island shown in the film is located in the Palm Islands Nature Reserve in the Tripoli District. Palm Islands consists of three islands, the largest known as Rabbits Island or Jazeerat al-Araneb. The film was extensively shot on Rabbits Island, chosen for its picturesque yet haunting environment that complements the survival drama theme.
Rabbits Island got its name because of the numerous rabbits cultivated there during the French Mandate in the 20th century. Although the rabbits have left the island, the area continues to be known for its turquoise waters and rocky landscape.
To reach Rabbits Island, one would need to travel to Beirut and then take a car or a bus, which typically takes around two hours. The island’s remote and rocky landscape made it an ideal setting for The Sand Castle, adding an eerie and desolate tone.
Everything to know about the movie The Sand Castle
The Sand Castle is a Lebanese drama directed by Matty Brown, known for his work on The Distraction (2020). The film stars Oscar nominee Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, and siblings Zain and Riman Al Rafeea.
The screenplay was written by Brown, Hend Fakhroo (The Waiting Room), and Yassmina Karajah (Rupture). This signifies the second partnership between Labaki and the Al Rafeea siblings, after their collaboration on Capernaum, which earned the 2018 Cannes Jury Prize.
The narrative centers on a young girl named Jana, who is left isolated with her family on a desolate island in the Mediterranean Sea. They find refuge in a lighthouse, where Jana enjoys playing in the sand as the family observes peculiar happenings.
Jana sees a body bag floating by the shore. Her mother hears a distressing radio broadcast about migrants drowning between Greece and Turkey, and soon after, their radio stops working, leaving them completely cut off from the outside world.
As the days pass, their situation worsens, and their pasts are slowly revealed while their future remains uncertain. As they face unpredictable natural challenges, the story delves into their endurance, resourcefulness, and the emotional toll of isolation.
According to the Netflix Tudum article published on January 29, 2025, the crew filmed on location to capture the raw environment without relying heavily on artificial sets.
The Rabbits Island complements the film's survival drama theme. The island’s inherent seclusion, rough terrain, and historical context contribute to the film’s ambiance, influencing the characters' conflicts.
Utilizing natural light and environmental conditions enhances realism, allowing the setting to shape the film’s storyline and atmosphere. The Sand Castle is presently available to stream on Netflix.
