Cannes Award Winner Born From Tragedy: Iranian Filmmaker’s Gaza Project Ends With Photographer‘s Death
A film born from a desperate attempt to document life in gaza has become an award-winning masterpiece at the Cannes Film Festival, tragically completed after its subject was killed by an Israeli missile. Iranian filmmaker Sepideh Farsi, herself a political dissident who found refuge in France in 1984, began the project in April 2024, hoping to enter Gaza and film the ongoing conflict. Unable to physically access the region, Farsi connected with 25-year-old Gazan photographer Fatma Hassona via Skype.
For nearly a year, Farsi filmed their conversations – a minimalist, often technically flawed exchange hampered by poor connection and limited English – documenting Hassona’s daily life under siege. The film, characterized by its raw and sustainable approach, frequently began with mutual inquiries of well-being: “- Are you okay? – Yes and you? – are you okay…” A constant suspense permeated each call, as Farsi feared Hassona might no longer be alive. During one conversation, Farsi inquired about Hassona’s decision to wear a veil, to which Hassona responded she began wearing it at age 13 ”Because at the time, I was doing more than my age, so my mother told me that it would protect me.”
The film took a devastating turn when Hassona stopped responding to Farsi’s calls. She and nine family members were subsequently killed by an Israeli missile. The “impossible film” transformed into an award-winning work, recognized for its poignant and harrowing portrayal of life in Gaza. farsi previously created a body of work over forty years, including clandestinely filmed documentaries, one shot entirely on a laptop in Tehran.
