As the Cannes Film Festival is in full swing, the Palestine Film Institute (PFI) is making a great impact due to the fact that this is the largest number of participants, under the banner #HereThereAndForever. The goal of this movement is to give a voice to Palestinian narratives through a series of screenings, exhibitions, and discussions, hopefully spotlighting the strength and creativity of Palestinian artists, specifically highlighting filmmakers during the current conflict.

A touching highlight is the film Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk, a documentary directed by Sepideh Farsi. The film follows Palestinian Fatima Hassouna, a photojournalist who, on April 16, 2025, was killed by an Israeli airstrike—just a short day after learning that the film had been selected for Cannes. Along with ten of her family members, her death has drawn international outrage and led to attention and mourning not only in the film community but also sparked broader coverage around the situation.

In response to Fatima Hassouna’s death, along with the overall conflict in Palestine, more than 380 filmmakers and artists—including Susan Sarandon and Pedro Almodóvar—have signed a critical letter condemning the conflict, along with the film industry’s lack of acknowledgment of the violence in Gaza. The letter implores the international film body to reject propaganda and use art as a means to defend human rights and remain free for all to express.

Moreover, the film From Ground Zero, composed of 22 short films directed by multiple Palestinian directors, offers raw experiences of people living under siege in Gaza. The accumulation of films, led by filmmaker Rashid Masharawi, showcases the determination of Palestinian artists to share their narratives despite immense challenges.