Palestinian photojournalist Fatma Hassona dreams of becoming a professional photographer, and she clearly has the eye for it. From her home in Gaza, she captures moments of everyday life amid a collapsing city. Filmmaker Sepideh Farsi weaves these images with halting video calls and live news fragments into an urgent documentary that reveals both the fragility and quiet resilience of those living through the unimaginable.
Genre: documentary, war, drama
Language: Arabic and English, subtitles: English
Length: 1h 53 mins.
In April 2024, Iranian film director Sepideh Farsi attempted to enter the Gaza Strip to document life under Israeli siege. But she was stopped and not allowed to cross the border. Shortly afterwards, she came into contact with Palestinian photojournalist Fatma Hassona, who lives in Gaza City. Through video calls, a close bond developed between the two women. At the same time, Fatma documents the ongoing destruction and its enormous impact on daily life in Gaza.
Whereas the crisis in Gaza is often experienced only through statistics and news images, Put Your Soul in Your Hand and Walk offers a poignant, human perspective on an immense humanitarian crisis. At the same time, it honors the courage and strength that the population continues to show amid the ongoing destruction, despite having no choice.
Awards
The film was selected for the ACID sidebar at Cannes 2025 and won the Golden Athena for Best Documentary.
Reviews
“The audacious austerity of Farsi’s film-making really makes the material sing.” The Guardian
“The film, and Hassona’s eye-opening photographs, will one day be added to the historical record detailing what happened in Gaza — which, in a broader sense, is also about what has happened to our civilization.” The Hollywood reporter
“Farsi takes an unusual visual approach to capturing Hassona, but one that eventually pays dividends.” Variety
SG & USE/ITEC registration
Please register for SG & USE/ITEC by scanning your student ID card at the venue.
More information about SG & USE/ITEC can be found here
Ticket information
This film will be shown at Filmhuis De Zwarte Doos.
- Tickets must be purchased online in advance and can be bought by clicking the black “Order” button on this page.
- Cash or card payments are not accepted at the ticket counter.
For more information about tickets, refund policies, and other details, click here.
Please be on time
The screening of the film begins promptly at 19:30 (with no pre-film advertisements), and the cinema hall will open at 19:10. We kindly request that you arrive at the ticket counter at least 10 minutes before the start of the film to ensure a smooth and timely experience for all.
The Studium Generale film program is created in collaboration with the Student Film Committee and Natlab