International Competition

A teenager from an Arab village in northern Israel, Morad was described as a good student, popular with his peers. Then he suffered a brutal attack, which left his body without long-lasting physical scars but his mind dissociated from reality. When his complete detachment shows no improvement and his behavior becomes more erratic, his psychiatrist suggests institutionalization. Morad’s devoted, determined father decides to try one more experiment: dolphin therapy. Selling off assets and leaving his job and the rest of his family behind, he and Morad travel 300 miles to a French-run dolphin center in Eilat on the Red Sea. Made over four years, the film is focused on Morad’s time at the Dolphin Reef. There are no therapists, only carers who lead their charges into the water to swim with the dolphins. Morad immerses himself figuratively and literally in the dolphin center. Dolphin Boy documents an intriguing psychiatric case, but more importantly, it reveals an incredibly strong and inspiring father-son relationship and the healing power of nature.