‘I Refused to Accept Her Death’

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Yesterday, the movie industry was stunned by the news of Fatma Hassona’s death, a 25-year-old Palestinian photojournalist who was featured in Sepideh Farsi’s upcoming documentary titled “Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk“. This film is scheduled to debut at the Cannes Film Festival in May. Tragically, Fatma lost her life along with her siblings, including her pregnant sister, due to an Israeli missile attack that hit their apartment building in Gaza. Sepideh Farsi was initially unable to believe the news of Hassona’s death, thinking it might have been a mistake. She reached out to everyone she knew who was connected to Fatma in hope that it wasn’t true. However, the director eventually received confirmation about the fatalities, although she is uncertain if Fatma’s parents were also among those who perished.

The ending of this tale carries a deep sense of sorrow, as it builds upon an existing sadness. As Farsi expresses via Zoom from Paris, “Her assassination only increases the depth of this tragedy, yet the tragedy was already present.” She recounts numerous instances throughout the past year when she felt fear for Fatma (often called Fatem by friends) and her family. The film Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk is pieced together from discussions between the director and Hassona, held over FaceTime and other digital platforms. Due to travel restrictions, they were unable to meet in person, while Fatem had never left Gaza.

Initially, the filmmaker encountered the young photographer when she opted to share a tale about daily life amidst conflict in Gaza. Born and raised in Iran before moving to France in the 1980s, this director has produced several films focusing on war, such as her 2021 experimental documentary titled “Every War Is the Same“, recounting a Serbian Muslim refugee’s experiences, and her 2019 drama “I Will Cross Tomorrow“, chronicling a young man escaping fighting in Syria and traversing Turkey to reach Europe. During the Hamas attacks on October 7, the director was touring film festivals with her acclaimed animated drama “The Siren“, based on the Iran-Iraq War. “We were all taken aback by the initial attacks and the casualties among Israeli civilians,” she explains. However, Israel’s subsequent retaliation left her feeling like she was on a never-ending roller coaster ride.

On my travels through Asia and Europe, I found myself captivated by the dominant narrative that was unfolding. It struck me as a challenging puzzle because while the Israeli perspective and the Western viewpoint were presented, the Palestinian narrative seemed conspicuously absent. This situation reminded me of the times I watched news about Iran and observed how the storyline was manipulated by the oppressive Islamic Republic regime on one side and the Western media on the other. As a 13-year-old, I lived through the Iranian Revolution; at 16, I was imprisoned, and I left Iran at 18. Regrettably, my films are currently prohibited in my home country. As an Iranian dissident, I understand all too well what it feels like to have others telling your story.

She aimed to journey to Cairo, seeking a means to traverse Rafah and enter Gaza, but this turned out to be unattainable. As it turns out, having a French passport while being born in Iran leaves you stranded. Neither the Egyptians nor Israelis nor Palestinians nor even the French are willing to assist you, Farsi explains. However, one of her Palestinian contacts in Egypt suggested she contact Hassona. This young photographer had obtained a multimedia degree from the University College of Applied Sciences and also wrote poetry.

Initially, it was planned for her to share pictures from Gaza with me, which she did. However, as soon as we had our first video call, I requested, “Can I record our conversation? Will you agree?” Neither of us knew what would transpire, but during our initial hour-long video chat, with an unreliable internet connection interrupting, a concept emerged – to construct a film from our discussions. Following this, we began conversing frequently: “In no time, she became the focal point of my movie.

Hassona’s spiritedness and courage left an impact on Farsi. Her photographs from Gaza portrayed the destruction caused by war, yet they also revealed the compassionate essence of those trapped in it. She didn’t shy away from depicting gruesome scenes. When asked if it disturbed her to photograph mangled bodies, she replied, “I believe it needs to be documented, so I do it without giving it much thought.” Hassona’s photographs prior to October 7th have a distinct charm, showcasing the beauty that surrounded her daily life. Many of these can still be found on her Instagram page: Scroll back to 2023 and before, and you’ll discover pictures of weddings, graduations, sunsets, children at play in the streets, fishermen repairing nets, and large crowds watching the World Cup. It seems like a completely different reality.

In her role as a photographer, Farsi found a strong connection with Hassona, who was around the same age as Farsi’s daughter. Despite a generation gap, their friendship swiftly deepened into something profound. Farsi admired Fatem’s selflessness, as she provided food to others while going hungry herself and took time to teach writing classes for traumatized children. Farsi sometimes felt remorse at her own privileged lifestyle, contrasting it with Fatem’s life in Gaza amidst bombings. However, Farsi eventually recognized that sharing glimpses of her own experiences was opening a new world for Hassona, who was eagerly seeking perspectives beyond her immediate surroundings. In this mutual exchange, Hassona served as Farsi’s eyes into the reality of Gaza, while Farsi provided a window to the world outside for Hassona.

The thought-provoking film titled Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk will debut in the L’ACID sidebar, an independent showcase during Cannes that features lesser-known projects. Unlike the mainstream films, these movies typically lack French distribution, major sales agents, high-profile publicists, celebrities, and glamorous red carpets. Interestingly, L’ACID is also known for premiering some of the festival’s top nonfiction works, such as Maciek Hamela’s In the Rearview, which was about the Ukraine war in 2023. In a statement to Vulture, L’ACID acknowledged that the narrative around this movie has evolved. “We had watched and programmed a film where this young woman’s vitality was nothing short of miraculous,” it says. “It is no longer the same film we will be supporting and presenting in every theater. All of us, filmmakers and viewers, must be worthy of her light.

Previously, Farsi intended to hold an exhibition of Hassona’s photographs during the same period as the film’s tour in various film festivals. However, this task has become more pressing now due to recent developments. Sadly, Fatem didn’t get a chance to watch the completed movie. When Farsi informed her, the subject and friend, that Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk would debut at Cannes, Farsi hoped Fatem could travel to France for the screening; but Fatem only agreed if she could return to Gaza afterward. As Farsi explains, “I think for her, it was still an abstract concept. She spent her life in Gaza and had never traveled abroad before. We’d just sent her the invitation. I was trying to get a visa for her, and I was wondering, Can we manage to get her out through Rafah? These were all the concerns that occupied me until yesterday afternoon when I heard the sad news.

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2025-04-19 00:55