Latest news with #Hassouna
Sinar Daily
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sinar Daily
'I thought she'd survive': Story of slain Gaza photojournalist touches Cannes
CANNES - A documentary whose main subject, 25-year-old photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, was killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza weeks before it premiered at Cannes stunned viewers into silence at the festival Thursday. As the cinema lights came back on, film maker Sepideh Farsi held up an image of the young Palestinian woman killed with younger siblings on April 16, and encouraged the audience to stand up and clap to pay tribute. "To kill a child, to kill a photographer is unacceptable," Farsi said. "There are still children to save. It must be done fast," the exiled Iranian filmmaker added. With Israel banning foreign media from entering the besieged Palestinian territory, Farsi last year reached out to Hassouna through video call, and turned more than 200 days of conversations into the documentary "Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk". In often disjointed discussions due to bad internet connection, Hassouna smiles widely and bravely says she is ok. She recounts how she dreams of eating chicken amid dire food shortages, how she lost 14 relatives including a one-year-old in Israeli bombardment, and what she photographed that day. In one of her many pictures edited into the film, a little girl laughs on her father's lap in front of a tower block reduced to rubble. But in another, a boy aims a water hose at the bloodied pavement, trying to clean away the remains of his own family. 'Normal people' A day after Hassouna was told the documentary had been selected for a sidebar section at the world's most prestigious film festival, an Israeli missile pummelled her home in northern Gaza, killing her and 10 relatives. Israel has claimed it was targeting Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas. "Why would you kill someone and decimate an entire family just because she was taking photos?" Farsi told AFP. "They were normal people. Her father was a taxi driver, she was a photographer, her sister was a painter and her little brother was 10 years old", said Farsi. "My heart goes out to her mother, who lost six of her children, her husband and her home." On Thursday, British filmmaker Ken Loach -- a double Palme d'Or winner -- on X called on people to honour Hassouna and fellow Palestinian journalists "who gave their lives to bear witness to mass murder". Tens of thousands have been killed in Gaza and an aid blockade threatens famine, while Israeli leaders continue to express a desire to empty the territory of Palestinians as part of the war sparked by Hamas's unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack. Reporters Without Borders estimates around 200 journalists have been killed in 18 months of Israeli strikes on Gaza. 'Reality caught up with us' As the Gaza death toll mounts, with rescuers saying 120 people were killed in Israeli strikes on Thursday alone, the conflict has cast a shadow over Cannes. Several actors have walked its red carpet wearing Palestinian flags pinned to their jackets, while others have sported a yellow ribbon for Israeli hostages still held in Gaza. Exiled Gazan film makers Arab and Tarzan Nasser will on Monday screen "Once Upon a Time in Gaza", a portrait of two friends set in 2007, the year Hamas started tightening its grip on the territory. On the eve of the festival, "Schindler's List" actor Ralph Fiennes and Hollywood star Richard Gere were among more than 380 figures to slam what they see as silence over "genocide" in Gaza. "The English Patient" actor Juliette Binoche, who heads the main competition jury, paid homage to Hassouna on opening night. Sepideh said she had believed until the very end that Hassouna "would survive, that she would come (to Cannes), that the war would stop. "But reality caught up with us," she said. - AFP
France 24
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- France 24
UN expert calls for end of Gaza blockade in Cannes
"They must lift the blockade," the UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territories said. The Israeli defence ministry said 107 humanitarian aid trucks entered Gaza on Thursday, whereas the United Nations used to bring in 500 to 600 lorry-loads per day on average during a six-week ceasefire that broke down in March. But Albanese said even that amount would not be enough, after UN agencies warned a two-month siege had left its population of more than two million people on the brink of famine. "Even if we return now to the 500 trucks per day... it wouldn't be sufficient because there are no stocks and the people in Gaza have nothing," she told AFP on the sidelines of the festival. "Israel needs to get out of Gaza," she added. The Gaza war has cast a shadow over the festival on the French Riviera, especially after the killing last month of the main character of a film that premiered in one of its parallel sections. An Israeli strike on April 16 killed Fatima "Fatem" Hassouna, a 25-year-old photojournalist, just weeks before exiled Iranian filmmaker Sepideh Farsi screened "Put Your Soul On Your Hand And Walk". Israel has claimed it was targeting Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says Hassouna is one of more than 200 journalists killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza since October 2023. 'Truth tellers' Albanese said the Cannes film festival felt like a "bubble of indifference" but she said she decided to join a press conference organised by Farsi to honour Palestinian journalists. With Israel banning international media from entering Gaza, "they are the truth tellers, they are the ones who have been telling the genocide from within", Albanese said. Amnesty International last month said Israel was carrying out a "live-streamed genocide" against Palestinians in Gaza, claims Israel dismissed as "blatant lies". Hassouna's death has galvanised members of the cinema industry, with France's Catherine Deneuve on Friday joining over 900 actors and filmmakers in signing an open letter denouncing "genocide" in Gaza, organisers told AFP. The petition began circulating during the buildup to the festival and had garnered around 380 names including "Schindler's List" star Ralph Fiennes when the event kicked off on May 13. An update issued by organisers Friday included more than 900 names, including Deneuve and British director Danny Boyle. "As artists and cultural players, we cannot remain silent while genocide is taking place in Gaza," the open letter says. Other signatories include Juliette Binoche, who is chairing the jury for the festival's Palme d'Or top prize, US indie director Jim Jarmusch, "Lupin" star Omar Sy, Spanish director Pedro Almodovar, Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon and Mark Ruffalo. Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who is in Cannes to promote a documentary about his life, has also signed the letter, organisers said Friday. He posed for photographers on Tuesday with a T-shirt bearing the names of killed Gaza children. On Friday, Gaza's health ministry said at least 3,673 people had been killed in the territory since Israel resumed strikes on March 18, taking the war's overall toll to 53,822, mostly civilians. Hamas's October 2023 attack that triggered the war resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
The National
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Paul Laverty pays tribute to Palestinian journalist killed by Israeli strike
Paul Laverty, who is known for his collaboration with Ken Loach on I, Daniel Blake, and Sweet Sixteen starring a young Martin Compston, has voiced his outrage at the UK Government's 'collusion with genocide' in Gaza. Ahead of an event in Cannes to remember Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassouna who was killed on April 16 in northern Gaza, Laverty shared a video message aimed at UK ministers. READ MORE: Labour silent on Israeli government's 'antisemitism summit' invitation Hassouna, 25, and ten members of her family, including her pregnant sister, were killed just days before her wedding. 'If I die, I want a loud death,' she wrote on social media before she was killed. Hassouna was the subject of a documentary made by Iranian director Sepideh Farsi (below), Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk. The film tells the story of the daily life of Palestinians through filmed video conversations between Hassouna and Farsi, was screened at Cannes on May 15. Palme d'Or winners Laverty and Loach also penned an open letter remembering Hassouna as a 'courageous young woman' and urging the international community to speak out about Gaza. In a video clip seen by The National, and due to be screened at a press conference in Cannes denouncing Hassouna's murder, Laverty sent his 'solidarity from Scotland'. (Image: Getty images) 'The genocide convention of 1951, signed by 53 countries is not an option, you are not doing a favour, it is not optional,' he said. 'It is international law, the law of the land. So lets put our politicians on notice that in terms of Article 3 they are in collusion with genocide by directly and indirectly, by the fair view, are supporting genocide in Gaza. 'Let's put them on a wanted list, let's remember their names, all all around the world.' Laverty then called out the UK Cabinet, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Defence Secretary John Healey. 'We will remember you,' he said. 'Let's put them on a shame and name list, and say we are coming after you in terms of the genocide convention Article 3.' Laverty added: 'We shall remember your name, we shall put you on a list, and we are after you. Carry out your duties in the term of the law, do you duty, stop genocide now. 'Fatima, we remember you darling.' READ MORE: John Swinney discusses 'need to end conflict' in Gaza with Keir Starmer The Foreign Office has been contacted for comment. Laverty and Loach called for the international film community to advocate for peace in Cannes while the festival is underway. 'For a few short days, the world's attention rests on Cannes as film-makers from many countries try their best to make sense of what is happening around them. Cannes has a tradition of engagement in the affairs of the day, and some still have vivid memories of the events of 1968,' they say in the letter. 'Young Fatima clearly foresaw her own murder, and said, 'I want a loud death.' On 15th May, the day of the screening, can we honour this courageous young woman, and her fellow Palestinian journalists (no foreign journalist has been allowed into Gaza) who gave their lives to bear witness to mass murder.' (Image: PA) Laverty and Loach (above) called for countries to carry out their duties under the Genocide Convention and demand the international community 'puts an end to the war crimes of Israel', and named the UK as an enabler. 'If we do not stop Genocide now, the Israeli/Trump version of the Riviera in Gaza will be built on the rubble and the dead,' they added. 'The ethnic cleansing will continue through the West Bank and the Palestinian people will have been finally driven from their historic homeland. 'If the war criminals escape justice what horrors will come next? 'Fatima Hassouna, and her family, murdered on the 16th April, '25, Rest in Peace.'
Leaders
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Leaders
In Photos: Highlights from 1st Week of Cannes Film Festival
The 78th Cannes International Film Festival has witnessed the usual glitz and glamour, along with a special focus on politics, according to AFP. The festival highlighted several controversial moments that took place during the first week. Red carpet dress code US actress Halle Berry The 2025 festival has banned extravagantly large dresses and 'total nudity' on the red carpet. Hollywood star Halle Berry was the most high-profile victim of this ban as she was forced to change her wardrobe on opening night. This change came after she judged her dress by Indian designer Gaurav Gupta to be too long. However, other people have broken the rules such as German model Heidi Klum, who appeared in a frilly pink evening gown with a train that was nearly three meters (10 feet) long. Cruise show Tom Cruise After screening his film 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,' Tom Cruise has achieved remarkable success in the festival. Director Christopher McQuarrie stated that Cruise, who decided to perform dangerous scenes by himself, took his risk-taking a little far during a shoot in South Africa and could have died. 'He was laying on the wing of the plane. His arms were hanging over the front of the wing. We could not tell if he was conscious or not,' McQuarrie added. Actors-turned-directors Kristen Stewart's directorial debut 'The Chronology of Water' premiered at Cannes Film Festival. This year's edition features three works by actors who have recently started their careers as directors. The event has commended Harris Dickinson, the 28-year-old 'Babygirl' actor, for his first film 'Urchin'. Meanwhile, 'Twilight' star Kristen Stewart, 35, has surprised audience with her talent behind the camera in 'The Chronology of Water'. Furthermore, American A-lister Scarlett Johansson is set to reveal her debut film 'Eleanor the Great' to audiences on Monday. Gaza War Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassouna On the eve of festival, approximately 400 top film figures signed an open letter condemning both Israel for committing 'genocide' in Gaza and the film industry for its 'passivity'. Therefore, Gaza War has become a crucial topic during the festival. Importantly, the festival has screened a wrenching documentary about Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, killed in an Israeli air strike on her home in Gaza. Before her demise, Hassouna collaborated with Iranian filmmaker Sepideh Farsi to produce a documentary on how people live in Gaza during Israel's ongoing genocide. The Israeli airstrike that targeted Hassouna's family home in Gaza came just a day after Acid, a Cannes sidebar dedicated to independent cinema, announced the selection of her work. Moreover, the attack killed nine of her family members. 'If I die, I want a loud death. I don't want to be in a breaking news story, nor in a number with a group. I want a death that is heard by the world, a trace that lasts forever, and immortal images that neither time nor place can bury,' Hassouna wrote this post before her death. Trump era Pedro Pascal at the 78th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes The US President Donald Trump has been also one of the major topics in Cannes after stating on May 5 that he wanted to take 100-percent tariffs on movies 'produced in foreign lands'. As a response, actors, directors and producers have rejected the idea and described it as bad and self-defeating. Meanwhile, others have joined De Niro's calls to resist Trump, including Chilean-American actor Pedro Pascal, who urged Hollywood to fight those who tried to make them scared. Related Topics: Saudi Film Norah Screened at Cannes Film Festival Israel Kills Gazan Photojournalist Selected to Screen Doc at Cannes Festival Saudi Film Commission Showcases Industry Growth at 78th Cannes Film Festival Short link : Post Views: 2
Express Tribune
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
From Gaza to Cannes
Fatima Hassouna died in an Israeli air strike before her documentary premiered at Cannes. Photo: File A documentary whose main subject, 25-year-old photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, was killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza weeks before it premiered at Cannes stunned viewers into silence at the festival Thursday, reported AFP. As the cinema lights came back on, film maker Sepideh Farsi held up an image of the young Palestinian woman killed with younger siblings on April 16, and encouraged the audience to stand up and clap to pay tribute. "To kill a child, to kill a photographer is unacceptable," Farsi said. "There are still children to save. It must be done fast," the exiled Iranian filmmaker added. With Israel banning foreign media from entering the besieged Palestinian territory, Farsi last year reached out to Hassouna through video call, and turned more than 200 days of conversations into the documentary Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk. In often disjointed discussions due to bad internet connection, Hassouna smiles widely and bravely says she is ok. She recounts how she dreams of eating chicken amid dire food shortages, how she lost 14 relatives including a one-year-old in Israeli bombardment, and what she photographed that day. In one of her many pictures edited into the film, a little girl laughs on her father's lap in front of a tower block reduced to rubble. But in another, a boy aims a water hose at the bloodied pavement, trying to clean away the remains of his own family. 'Normal people' A day after Hassouna was told the documentary had been selected for a sidebar section at the world's most prestigious film festival, an Israeli missile pummelled her home in northern Gaza, killing her and 10 relatives. Israel has claimed it was targeting Hamas. "Why would you kill someone and decimate an entire family just because she was taking photos?" Farsi told AFP. "They were normal people. Her father was a taxi driver, she was a photographer, her sister was a painter and her little brother was 10 years old", said Farsi. "My heart goes out to her mother, who lost six of her children, her husband and her home." On Thursday, British filmmaker Ken Loach – a double Palme d'Or winner – on X called on people to honour Hassouna and fellow Palestinian journalists "who gave their lives to bear witness to mass murder". Tens of thousands have been killed in Gaza and an aid blockade threatens famine, while Israeli leaders continue to express a desire to empty the territory of Palestinians. Reporters Without Borders estimates around 200 journalists have been killed in 18 months of Israeli strikes on Gaza. 'Reality caught up with us' As the Gaza death toll mounts, with rescuers saying 120 people were killed in Israeli strikes on Thursday alone, the conflict has cast a shadow over Cannes. Several actors have walked its red carpet wearing Palestinian flags pinned to their jackets, while others have sported a yellow ribbon for Israeli hostages still held in Gaza. Exiled Gazan film makers Arab and Tarzan Nasser will on Monday screen Once Upon a Time in Gaza, a portrait of two friends set in 2007, the year Hamas started tightening its grip on the territory. Exiled Gazan film makers Arab and Tarzan Nasser will on Monday screen Once Upon a Time in Gaza, a portrait of two friends set in 2007, the year Hamas started tightening its grip on the territory. On the eve of the festival, Schindler's List actor Ralph Fiennes and Hollywood star Richard Gere were among more than 380 figures to slam what they see as silence over genocide in Gaza. The English Patient actor Juliette Binoche, who heads the main competition jury, paid homage to Hassouna on opening night. Sepideh said she had believed until the very end that Hassouna "would survive, that she would come (to Cannes), that the war would stop. "But reality caught up with us," she said.
