Cannes Pays Tribute to Fatma Hassona, Slain Photojournalist and Subject of ACID-Selected Film

The Festival de Cannes has issued a heartfelt tribute to Fatma Hassona, the 25-year-old Palestinian photojournalist who was killed along with several members of her family on April 16, just one day after the announcement that she would be the central figure in a selected documentary for this year’s ACID (Association for the Distribution of Independent Cinema) program.

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Hassona was the subject of Sepideh Farsi’s documentary Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk, a powerful film capturing her daily life and unwavering commitment to documenting the human cost of war in Gaza in 2025. The film was chosen by ACID as part of its parallel selection at the 78th Festival de Cannes, known for spotlighting politically urgent and artistically bold works from the independent filmmaking community.

Her death — the result of a missile strike that hit her family home — has reverberated far beyond the film world, as a stark reminder of the mounting toll of conflict in the region. Hassona’s courage and voice, preserved in Farsi’s documentary, stand as testimony to both her work as a journalist and her fierce dedication to truth and humanity.

In a public statement, the Festival expressed its “dread and profound sadness” over the tragedy, calling it an event that has “moved and shocked the whole world.”

"Although a film is a small thing in the face of such a tragedy," the Festival noted, "the screening of Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk on May 15 in Cannes will serve as a tribute to Fatma Hassona’s memory."

Hassona's death underscores the devastating cost borne by civilians — and particularly by artists and journalists — in times of war. Her commitment to bearing witness through her lens is now immortalized through cinema, in what will surely be one of the most emotionally resonant moments of this year’s festival.