The film chronicles the life of Fatema Hasoona, a 25-year-old Palestinian photojournalist from Gaza who was killed alongside her father and five siblings in an Israeli airstrike on April 16, one day after the film was accepted into the festival.
In an open letter, Loach and Laverty praised the film and called for international action to stop Israeli “war crimes” and “genocide.”
They cited independent investigations, including a recent report by Forensic Architecture, based at Goldsmiths, University of London, which presented extensive documentation of war crimes in Gaza.
They also criticized the International Court of Justice for delaying its ruling on South Africa’s genocide case against Israel until 2026, calling the inaction “shameful.”
Farsi’s film uses archival footage and personal correspondence to depict Hasoona’s life, tragically cut short. “She once said she wanted a loud death,” the letter states. “Can we make her death truly heard?”
This marks the second major artist-led protest against Israel’s actions at Cannes.
