Cannes documentary star and Palestinian journalist Fatma Hassona killed in Israeli missile strike
Fatma Hassona, a 25-year-old Palestinian photojournalist and the central figure in the upcoming documentary "Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk", was tragically killed alongside her family in an Israeli missile strike on April 16, 2025.
The film, directed by Sepideh Farsi, is set to premiere at the ACID section of the Cannes Film Festival and captures Hassona's daily life in Gaza through remote conversations and recordings made over FaceTime.
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Hassona passed away just after learning that her documentary was selected for the ACID section of Cannes. Director Sepideh Farsi shared her thoughts on Hassona's passing, referencing a line from Hassona's "The Man Who Wore His Eyes".
Farsi noted that she met Hassona in Cairo through a Palestinian friend while searching for answers about life under siege in Gaza. Unable to travel there, Farsi turned to Fatem (Hassona's nickname used by her friends) for insight. "Fatem became my eyes in Gaza, and I became her window to the world," she said. "Through our video calls, I captured her laughter, tears, hopes, and despair—never knowing where it would lead. That's the beauty of cinema. The beauty of life."
The ACID association, which supports independent cinema, released a statement mourning Hassona's death, highlighting her magical smile and tenacity in bearing witness, photographing Gaza, and distributing food despite the bombs.
"We had watched and programmed a film in which this young woman's life force seemed like a miracle. This is no longer the same film that we are going to support and present in all theatres, starting with Cannes. All of us, filmmakers and spectators alike, must be worthy of her light," ACID said in its statement.
Hassona's death adds to the toll on journalists in the region, with the UN reporting that 209 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the beginning of the conflict.
The airstrikes on Palestine started on October 7, 2023. Since the onset of the conflict, 50,933 individuals have lost their lives, and another 116,045 have sustained injuries, as reported by Al Jazeera on April 12.
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