After the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7 and the ensuing Israeli military response, filmmaker Sepideh Farsi knew she wanted to make a documentary about what was unfolding in Gaza. But when she couldn’t gain access to the territory, she had to find another way to tell the story.
That opportunity came through Fatma Hassona, a 25-year-old photojournalist and poet living in Gaza. Over the course of a year, through regular video calls, their collaboration took shape — becoming the powerful new documentary PUT YOUR SOUL ON YOUR HAND AND WALK.
The film is both life-affirming and heart-breaking, capturing the daily resilience of Fatma as she navigates life in a war zone — her warmth and optimism tested by unimaginable loss.
Premiering at Cannes and screening at the New York Film Festival and beyond, the film has been widely praised by both critics and audiences for its intimacy and emotional force.
As it begins its theatrical release, we invite viewers to look beyond politics — and experience PUT YOUR SOUL ON YOUR HAND AND WALK as a deeply human story about endurance, art, and connection amid conflict.
Despite some minor technical challenges, we loved this film and are eager to share our conversation with filmmaker Sepideh Farsi, on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now.
PUT YOUR SOUL ON YOUR HAND AND WALK is an essential document that now stands as a heartfelt memorial and final testament: Fatma and her family were tragically killed by a targeted Israeli airstrike on April 16, one day after the film was announced as a selection of the Cannes Film Festival.