Javier Bardem Backed Israeli Film Boycott, Now Stars in Har’el’s Wet
Actor Javier Bardem, who signed a pledge to boycott Israeli film institutions, has joined Alma Har'el's yacht-set drama Wet. Lionsgate has acquired North American and UK distribution rights, and filming is scheduled for 2027.
Javier Bardem, who backed an Israeli film boycott, has joined the cast of Wet, an upcoming yacht-set family drama directed by Israeli filmmaker Alma Har'el. Lionsgate has acquired distribution rights for the film in North America and the UK.
The casting stands out. Bardem is an outspoken pro-Palestinian activist and a repeated critic of Israel.
A pledge and a keffiyeh
Bardem has appeared on red carpets wearing a keffiyeh in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. He was also among film industry figures who signed a pledge calling for a boycott of Israeli film institutions and companies.
The pledge's organizers accuse those bodies of being "implicated in war crimes, genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people." Har'el was born in Rehovot, Israel, so his decision to work with her contrasts with those public positions.
What is known about Wet
Har'el co-wrote the film with Christian Stangeby. Plot details remain under wraps, though the story unfolds aboard a luxury yacht.
The film has been described as a "wild and seductive maritime adventure" that blends family drama with black comedy and social satire. Its focus on family, power, money and struggles for control has drawn comparisons to Succession. Its treatment of wealth and class has also drawn parallels with Triangle of Sadness. Filming is scheduled for 2027.
Beyond Bardem, the cast includes Connor Storrie, a rising star thanks to the LGBTQ drama Heated Rivalry. Rebecca Ferguson, known for the Mission: Impossible and Dune franchises, also stars. So does Odessa A'zion, who broke through with Marty Supreme.
Grammy-winning Spanish singer Rosalía and Lukas Haas, whose recent credits include Spider-Noir, round out the announced cast.
Who is Alma Har'el
Har'el is 51. In the early 1990s she was a familiar figure in Tel Aviv's cultural scene, working as a bartender at the Allenby 58 nightclub. She also became a television presenter and filmed performances by musicians and bands.
She later moved to Hollywood and was married to Israeli filmmaker Boaz Yakin. She directed award-winning music videos, including work with the band Beirut.
Her breakthrough came with the 2011 documentary Bombay Beach, a portrait of a once-popular California resort community that had fallen into decay. It won the documentary prize at the Tribeca Film Festival.
She went on to work with Shia LaBeouf, directing him in a music video for Icelandic band Sigur Rós. She then directed the 2019 autobiographical drama Honey Boy, based on LaBeouf's experiences as a child actor and his difficult relationship with his father.
In 2021 she directed Shadow Kingdom: The Early Songs of Bob Dylan. In 2024 she created the Apple TV+ series Lady in the Lake, Natalie Portman's first television series, which also starred Moses Ingram and Byron Bowers.
