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Cannes Honors Fatima Hassouna as Documentary Premiere Becomes Memorial

The Cannes Film Festival and ACID mourn the Palestinian photojournalist, killed in an Israeli airstrike, as forensic findings challenge claims about the strike's target.

Director Sepideh Farsi poses during an interview with Reuters about her documentary film "Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk" which follows 25-year-old Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, who was killed in Gaza along with several family members in an Israeli airstrike in April one day after it was announced that the documentary had been chosen for the festival's ACID program, during the 78th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 15, 2025. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
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Overview

  • Fatima Hassouna, a 25-year-old Palestinian photojournalist, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on April 16, a day after her documentary was selected for Cannes.
  • Her documentary, 'Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk,' premiered at Cannes on May 15, with the festival and ACID issuing tributes to her life and work.
  • A forensic report from Forensic Architecture alleges Hassouna was deliberately targeted, contradicting the Israeli army's claim that the strike aimed at a militant and took steps to avoid civilian harm.
  • Over 370 filmmakers, including prominent industry figures, signed an open letter condemning Hassouna's death and criticizing the cinema industry's silence on Gaza.
  • The film's premiere, coinciding with Nakba Day, also highlighted the ongoing displacement and devastation in Gaza, emphasizing the role of art in documenting human suffering.