Mark Ruffalo, Guy Pearce, Melissa Barrera and Ralph Fiennes Among 350+ Figures to Sign Letter About Killing of Palestinian Protagonist of Cannes-Bound Doc: ‘We Are Ashamed’ of Industry ‘Passivity’ (EXCLUSIVE)

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Over 350 actors, filmmakers, and production professionals from various nations have united to issue a statement, published at Cannes’ opening, denouncing the tragic death of Fatma Hassona, a Palestinian photojournalist, who was also the subject of an upcoming festival documentary titled “Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk. This unfortunate incident occurred in an Israeli air attack.

A group of famous actors and filmmakers, including Mark Ruffalo, Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes, Melissa Barrera, Yorgos Lanthimos, Javier Bardem, Hannah Einbinder, Pedro Almodóvar, David Cronenberg, Alfonso Cuarón, Mike Leigh, Alex Gibney, Viggo Mortensen, and Cynthia Nixon, among others, have criticized the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences for not providing enough backing to “No Other Land” director Hamdan Ballal.

As a movie connoisseur penning my thoughts post-Oscars, let me share an unfortunate turn of events that befall our esteemed documentary filmmaker, Ballal. Merely three weeks after triumphing with the coveted award, he was brutally attacked by settlers and subsequently abducted by the Israeli military forces. The ensuing uproar over this injustice led to a wave of criticism directed at the Academy for its silence on the matter. However, after much public pressure, the Academy finally issued an apology, expressing their deep regret for their perceived passivity. “We are ashamed of our lack of action,” the letter read.

However, the correspondence additionally emphasized that cinema, being a “nursery for socially conscious productions,” should employ its medium to learn from history, produce engaged films, and stand as a guardian for silenced voices.

The statement concludes with: “For Fatma, and everyone else who dies in apathy, cinema holds a responsibility to convey their messages, mirroring our societies. Let’s take action before it’s too late.

See the full letter and list of signatories below:

Fatma Hassona was 25 years old.

As a passionate film aficionado, I found myself in the spotlight of adversity on April 17, 2025. The day prior, my life took an extraordinary turn when news broke that my film, “Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk,” had been chosen for the ACID section at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival – a moment I had starred in. Unfortunately, this joy was short-lived as I became the focus of the Israeli army’s attention just one day later.

She was about to get married.

Ten of her relatives, including her pregnant sister, were killed by the same Israeli strike.

Ever since the devastating events of October 7, 2023 in the Gaza Strip, no foreign media personnel have been granted access. The Israeli military has allegedly attacked civilians, resulting in over 200 journalists being intentionally killed. Furthermore, writers, filmmakers, and artists are reportedly being ruthlessly murdered.

Towards the end of March, Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal, renowned for his Oscar-winning movie “No Other Land,” suffered a violent assault at the hands of Israeli settlers. He was subsequently seized by the military, but was freed under global pressure. The Academy Awards organization faced backlash over their failure to support Hamdan Ballal, leading them to issue a public apology for their inactivity.

In late March, Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal, who won an Oscar for his movie “No Other Land,” was cruelly attacked by Israeli settlers and later apprehended by the military. After being held captive, he was released due to international pressure. The Academy Awards organization, who had not supported Hamdan Ballal, faced criticism from their own members and were forced to issue a public apology for their inaction.

We are ashamed of such passivity.

Why does it appear that movies, a place where socially conscious films are nurtured, seem to ignore or show disregard for the distressing truths and the hardships endured by our fellow human beings?

As artists and contributors to culture, it’s challenging for us to stay quiet as atrocities like the genocide in Gaza unfold, and these heart-wrenching reports are resonating deeply within our communities.

Is there any purpose behind our chosen careers if not to learn from past events, to create sincere and impactful films, unless we’re here to safeguard the unheard voices of those who are being suppressed?

Why this silence?

Extremist groups, such as those advocating for far-right ideologies, fascism, colonialism, transphobia, and discrimination against LGBTQIA+ individuals, sexism, racism, Islamophobia, and antisemitism, are engaged in a war of ideas. They aim to undermine the freedom of expression, creative arts, and academia. Consequently, it is our responsibility to stand up and counter these harmful movements.

Let’s refuse to let our art be an accomplice to the worst.

Let us rise up.

Let us name reality.

Together, let’s bravely examine it with the tender sensitivity of our hearts, ensuring it cannot be suppressed or concealed any longer.

Let’s discard the continuous influence that distorts our thoughts and strips us of our human compassion.

For Fatma, for all those who die in indifference.

Cinema has a duty to carry their messages, to reflect our societies.

Let’s act before it’s too late.

The signatories are:

* Khalid Abdalla – Egyptian actor
* Noée Abita – French actress
* Hany Abu-Assad – Palestinian director
* Raphaëlle Agogué – French actress
* Iyad Alasttal – Jordanian actor
* Catia Albertazzi – Italian actress
* Vlad Alexis – French actor
* Taraneh Alidoosti – Iranian actress
* Waad Al-Kateab – Syrian journalist and filmmaker
* Yasmine Al Massri – Lebanese actress
* Pedro Almodóvar – Spanish director
* Pedro Alonso – Spanish actor
* Cristèle Alves Meira – French actress
* Serdar Akar – Turkish actor
* India Amarteifio – British actress
* Gianni Amelio – Italian director
* Carmine Amoroso – Italian actor
* Elisa Amoruso – Italian actress
* Romain André – French actor
* Roberto Andò – Italian director
* Geoff Arbourne – British cinematographer
* Francesca Archibugi – Italian director
* Tiziana Aristarco – Italian actress
* Swann Arlaud – French actor
* Olivier Azam – French actor
* Gökçe Bahadir – Turkish actress
* Jeanne Balibar – French actress
* Baloji – Belgian rapper and musician
* Avital Barak – Israeli actress
* Carlos Bardem – Spanish actor
* Javier Bardem – Spanish actor
* Melissa Barrera – Mexican-American actress
* Belma Baş – Turkish actress
* Dominique Baumard – French actress
* Xavier Beauvois – French director
* Saïd Ben Saïd – Tunisian actor
* Leïla Bekhti – Algerian actress
* Luca Bellino – Italian actor
* Suzy Bemba – French actress
* Adila Bendimerad – Algerian-French actress
* Kaouther Ben Hania – Tunisian director
* Dali Benssalah – Algerian actor
* Fabrizio Bentivoglio – Italian actor
* Julie Bertuccelli – French director
* Simone Bitton – Israeli director
* Konstantin Bojanov – Bulgarian actor
* Bertrand Bonello – French director
* Agathe Bonitzer – French actress
* Amélie Bonnin – French actress
* Bruno Bontzolakis – Greek-French actor
* Lucie Borleteau – French director
* Sami Bouajila – Tunisian actor
* Elodie Bouchez – French actress
* Bastien Bouillon – French actor
* Guillaume Brac – French actor
* Rachida Brakni – Algerian actress
* Evelyne Brochu – Canadian actress
* Silvia Brunelli – Italian actress
* Jean-Stéphane Bron – French director
* Celeste Brunnquell – French actress
* Gianfranco Cabiddu – Italian actor
* Esmeralda Calabria – Italian actress
* Laure Calamy – French actress
* Mimmo Calopresti – Italian actor
* Mehmet Can Mertoğlu – Turkish actor
* Eric Cantona – French footballer and actor
* Stefania Casini – Italian actress
* Antonio Maria Castaldo – Italian actor
* Marco Castaldi – Italian actor
* Sergio Castellitto – Italian actor
* Beniamino Catena – Italian actor
* Ebru Nuri Ceylan – Turkish actress
* Nuri Bilge Ceylan – Turkish director
* Lolita Chammah – French actress
* Moïra Chappedelaine-Vautier – French actress
* Amira Chebli – Tunisian actress
* Nadim Cheikhrouha – Lebanese actor
* Antoine Chevrollier – French actor
* Simona Chiocca – Italian actress
* Julie Christie – British actress
* Hélier Cisterne – French director
* Isabel Coixet – Spanish director
* Daniele Coluccini – Italian actor
* Maddalena Crippa – Italian actress
* David Cronenberg – Canadian director
* Costa-Gavras – Greek director
* Saverio Costanzo – Italian director
* Paolo Costella – Italian actor
* Pappi Corsicato – Italian actor
* Brian Cox – British actor
* Marcia Cross – American actress
* Alfonso Cuarón – Mexican director
* Liam Cunningham – Irish actor
* Sinéad Cusack – Irish actress
* Fatima Daas – French-Algerian actress
* Cherien Dabis – Jordanian-American director
* Béatrice Dalle – French actress
* Charles Dance – British actor
* Ciro D’Emilio – Italian actor
* Arkin Mercan Dede – Turkish actor
* Mary Ellen Davis – American actress
* Slimane Dazi – Algerian actor
* Matthieu de Laborde – French actor
* Pierre Deladonchamps – French actor
* Émilie Deleuze – French actress
* Agnès de Sacy – French actress
* Volfango De Biasi – Italian director
* Ciro De Caro – Italian actor
* Maura Delpero – Italian actress
* Maria De Medeiros – Portuguese-French actress
* Giuliana De Sio – Italian actress
* Maria Teresa De Vito – Italian actress
* Sylvain Desclous – French actor
* Lukas Dhont – Belgian director
* Juan Diego Botto – Argentine actor
* Alice Diop – Senegalese-French director
* Javad Djavahery – Iranian actor
* Julie Delpy – French actress and director
* Xavier Dolan – Canadian director
* Dimitri Doré – French actor
* Laetitia Dosch – French actress
* Joana Dos Reis – Brazilian-Portuguese actress
* Mike Downey, OBE. – British screenwriter
* Sara Driver – American director
* Luana Duchemin – Brazilian actress
* Sophie Dupuis – Canadian actress
* Pierre-Nicolas Durand – French actor
* Virginie Efira – Belgian actress
* Hannah Einbinder – American actress
* Sayyid El Alami – Moroccan actor
* Ouidad Elma – Moroccan actress
* Amir El-Masry – Egyptian-British actor
* Mareike Engelhardt – German actress
* Víctor Erice – Spanish director
* Benedikt Erlingsson – Icelandic director
* Adèle Exarchopoulos – French actress
* Roberto Faenza – Italian director
* Frédéric Farrucci – French actor
* Sepideh Farsi – Iranian actress
* Nina Faure – French actress
* Elda Ferri – Italian actress
* Margherita Ferri – Italian actress
* Isabella Ferrari – Italian actress
* Lisa Festa – Italian actress
* Ralph Fiennes – British actor
* Sophie Fiennes – British film director
* Milena Fiore – Italian actress
* Mahdi Fleifel – Palestinian-Danish director
* Michele Fornasero – Italian actor
* Marine Francen – French actress
* Blanche Gardin – French comedian and actress
* Lena Garrel – French actress
* Carmen Garcia – Spanish actress
* Jean-Raymond Garcia – French actor
* Nicole Garcia – French director
* Pablo Garcia Canga – Spanish actor
* Matteo Garrone – Italian director
* Alessandro Gassmann – Italian actor
* Nadia Genet – French actress
* Xavier Gens – French director
* Paolo Genovese – Italian director
* Aurélia Georges – French actress
* Richard Gere – American actor
* Denis Gheerbrant – French actor
* Adriano Giannini – Italian actor
* Alex Gibney – American director
* Raphaël Girardot – French actor
* Jonathan Glazer – British director
* James Wilson – British cinematographer
* Lambert Wilson – French actor
* Alex Winter – American actor
* Benedict Wong – British actor
* Jessica Woodworth – American director
* Arieh Worthalter – Israeli actor
* Maud Wyler – Swiss actress
* Mohanad Yaqubi – Syrian-Danish actor
* L. Rezan Yeşilbaş – Turkish actress
* Sofiane Zermani – Tunisian actor
* Andrea Zuliani – Italian director

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2025-05-13 07:46