Greater than 350 movie world figures, together with Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon and Javier Bardem, have printed an open letter on the eve of the Cannes Movie Competition condemning “silence” over the lethal impression of Israel’s ongoing navy marketing campaign in Gaza.
The letter, printed on the web site of France’s Libération newspaper on Monday night, was headed “In Cannes, the horror Gaza should not be silenced”. It was addressed “For Fatem”, in reminiscence of 25-year-old Gaza artist and photojournalist Fatima Hassouna.
The younger girl was killed in an Israeli airstrike in mid-April simply 24 hours after it was introduced a documentary exploring her life within the Gaza Strip would world premiere within the Cannes. Ten of her family members, together with her pregnant sister, had been killed in identical strike.
“She was a Palestinian freelance photojournalist. She was focused by the Israeli military on 16 April, 2025, the day after it was introduced that Sepideh Farsi’s movie Put Your Soul On Your Hand And Stroll, during which she was the star, had been chosen within the ACID part of the Cannes Movie Competition. She was about to get married,” learn the letter.
“Because the horrible massacres of seven October 2023, no international journalist has been authorised to enter the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military is focusing on civilians. Greater than 200 journalists have been intentionally killed. Writers, filmmakers and artists are being brutally murdered.”
Israel’s bombing and invasion of Gaza started in October 2023 in response to Hamas’s October 7 assaults on southern Israel, which killed 1,200 folks and resulted within the taking of 251 hostages.
Eighteen months on, at the very least 52,600 folks have been killed by Israeli navy motion, based on figures launched by the Hamas-run Gaza well being authority, whereas the two.4 million inhabitants can be dealing with extreme meals shortages because of a two month blockade of important provides by Israel.
The letter was printed simply hours after Hamas launched Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, in what it mentioned was a gesture of goodwill forward of U.S. President Donald Trump’s go to to the Center East, which doesn’t embrace Israel. Round 58 hostages are nonetheless lacking in Gaza, with round 24 of them nonetheless believed to be alive.
Additional signatories embrace Pedro Almodóvar, Javier Bardem, Leïla Bekhti, Kaouther Ben Hania, David Cronenberg, Costa-Gavras, Julie Delpy, Alice Diop, Xavier Dolan, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Nicole Garcia, Jonathan Glazer, Alain Guiraudie, Annemarie Jacir, Yórgos Lánthimos, Nadav Lapid, Mike Leigh, Boris Lojkine, Kleber Mendonça, Viggo Mortensen, Laura Poitras, Ruben Östlund, Mark Ruffalo and Ira Sachs.
The letter additionally highlighted the case of Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal, co-director of Oscar-winning documentary No Different Land, with Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra and Rachel Szor, who was attacked by Israeli settlers after which kidnapped by the military in late March, earlier than being launched below worldwide strain.
“The Oscar Academy’s lack of help for Hamdan Ballal sparked outrage amongst its personal members and it needed to publicly apologise for its inaction,” learn the letter, referring to a U-turn by the physique.
“As artists and cultural gamers, we can not stay silent whereas genocide is going down in Gaza and this unspeakable information is hitting our communities exhausting. What’s the level of our professions if not to attract classes from historical past, to make movies which can be dedicated, if we aren’t current to guard oppressed voices? Why this silence?”
Learn the complete letter right here:
For Fatem
Fatma Hassona (Fatem) was 25 years outdated.
She was a Palestinian freelance photojournalist. She was focused by the Israeli military on 16 April 2025, the day after it was introduced that Sepideh Farsi’s movie PUT YOUR SOUL ON YOUR HAND AND WALK, during which she was the star, had been chosen within the ACID part of the Cannes Movie Competition.
She was about to get married.
Ten of her family members, together with her pregnant sister, had been killed by the identical Israeli strike.
Because the horrible massacres of seven October 2023, no international journalist has been authorised to enter the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military is focusing on civilians. Greater than 200 journalists have been intentionally killed. Writers, film-makers and artists are being brutally murdered.
On the finish of March, Palestinian film-maker Hamdan Ballal, who received an Oscar for his movie NO OTHER LAND, co directed by Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra and Rachel Szor, was brutally attacked by Israeli settlers after which kidnapped by the military, earlier than being launched below worldwide strain. The Oscar Academy’s lack of help for Hamdan Ballal sparked outrage amongst its personal members and it needed to publicly apologise for its inaction.
We’re ashamed of such passivity.
Why is it that cinema, a breeding floor for socially dedicated works, appears to be so detached to the horror of actuality and the oppression suffered by our sisters and brothers?
As artists and cultural gamers, we can not stay silent whereas genocide is going down in Gaza and this unspeakable information is hitting our communities exhausting.
What’s the level of our professions if not to attract classes from historical past, to make movies which can be dedicated, if we aren’t current to guard oppressed voices?
Why this silence?
The far proper, fascism, colonialism, anti-trans and anti-LGBTQIA+, sexist, racist, islamophobic and anti-Semitic actions are waging their battle on the battlefield of concepts, attacking publishing, cinema and universities, and that’s why we’ve got an obligation to struggle.
Let’s refuse to let our artwork be an confederate to the worst.
Allow us to stand up.
Allow us to identify actuality.
Allow us to collectively dare to have a look at it with the precision of our delicate hearts, in order that it might not be silenced and lined up.
Allow us to reject the propaganda that consistently colonises our imaginations and makes us lose our sense of humanity.
For Fatem, for all those that die in indifference.
Cinema has an obligation to hold their messages, to mirror our societies.
Let’s act earlier than it’s too late.
