A man crosses a river in rough waters, aiming for the colorful container standing on the other side. Starting with a compelling long take, A Boat on the Sea soon moves on to the story of girls studying and dreaming, living across the river. The one who crossed the river is their teacher, and the classes mainly consist of reading Persian, making a snowman, and folding paper boats. The eyes of dreamy children sparkle like the sea, but their living conditions are so poor that it seems almost impossible for them to continue their studies. Instead of emphasizing such a situation in a tragic way, the film tries to capture the shy faces one by one while observing how they manage to have a good time. The voice of wanting to receive a car that can go anywhere as a gift, and the image of a girl looking at her paper boat floating away in the river, become a clear message in itself.​