Gaza Photographer Fatma Hassona Killed by Israeli Strike Days After Film Selection for Cannes

Life and Work of Fatma Hassona

• 💡 Fatma Hassona was a 25-year-old Palestinian photographer and artist from Gaza, documenting the impacts of Israel's war.
• 🎯 She was the subject of the new documentary "Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk," which had just been selected for the ACID Cannes 2025 film festival.
• ✨ Hassona is described as a radiant, brave, resilient, hopeful, and optimistic person with immense integrity.
• 📸 She viewed her camera as a weapon, akin to a sniper rifle, essential for documenting the war and genocide.

Tragic Death and Circumstances

• 💔 Hassona was killed with at least nine members of her family on Wednesday by an Israeli air strike on her home in northern Gaza.
• ⚠️ This occurred just one day after she learned her documentary had been selected for the Cannes Film Festival.
• ❓ Director Sepideh Farsi questions if the strike on Hassona's building was targeted, citing the high number of journalists killed in Gaza.
• 🕊️ Hassona had expressed a strong desire to return to Gaza and remain on her family's land, despite the dangers.

Filmmaker's Connection and Perspective

• 🤝 Director Sepideh Farsi met Hassona online a year prior while trying to capture the Palestinian narrative of the war.
• 🌍 Farsi shared her own experiences of exile and political restrictions, contrasting them with Hassona's confinement in Gaza, which enriched their relationship and the film.
• 💬 Hassona's clarity and vision, despite her young age and the immense suffering, including the loss of 13 family members in January 2024, were profound.
• 💔 Farsi expressed deep devastation and disbelief at Hassona's death, emphasizing the loss of a great person.

Hassona's Poetry and Legacy

• 🎤 The film features Hassona's photography, poetry, and even singing, showcasing her multifaceted artistic talents.
• 📖 A poem by Hassona, titled "The man who wore his eyes," is shared, reflecting themes of identity, confinement, and mortality.
• ✊ Her work and words, like "they cannot defeat us because we have nothing to lose," highlight a profound resilience.
• 🌟 Farsi is committed to sharing Hassona's work with larger audiences to preserve her legacy.