Cannes Honors Slain Gaza Photojournalist with Documentary Screening

The Cannes Film Festival will honor the memory of Gaza photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, who was killed along with 10 relatives in an Israeli airstrike last week, by screening the documentary 'Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk' by Iranian director Sepideh Farsi. The film, to be shown in the ACID Cannes section, features conversations between Farsi and Hassouna as she documents the impact of the war in Gaza. The festival expressed 'horror and deep sorrow' at Hassouna's death, emphasizing the film's screening as a tribute to her and other civilian victims of the conflict. The Israeli military stated the strike targeted a Hamas member, while media freedom group Reporters Without Borders has accused Israel of a 'massacre' of Palestinian journalists. Just before her death, Hassouna wrote that she did not want to be just 'breaking news, or a number in a group,' reflecting her desire for her story and work to be recognized. The documentary's inclusion at Cannes aims to highlight her life, talent, and the broader tragedy of the ongoing conflict.