When filmmaker Sepideh Farsi met Fatem Hassona, she became her eyes in Gaza, while she became her link to the world.
In 2024, exiled Iranian filmmaker Sepideh Farsi held video calls for a year with young Palestinian photographer Fatma “Fatem” Hassouna in Gaza, and composed a portrait born from the siege: impotence, the buzz of the occupation and the obstinacy to create.
The documentary encapsulates the poetry, joy, and dreams of Fatem, who insists on documenting everything to ensure her place in history. Just as the premiere was announced at ACID Cannes, an Israeli missile kills Fatem and part of her family; her purpose lives on in the film.
Danilo Petrovich, FIDOCS 29 programmer
Sepideh Farsi, an Iranian filmmaker, experienced the revolution at age 13, was imprisoned for dissent at 16, and left Iran at 18. Since then, she has lived in Paris. She has directed more than fifteen films, including documentaries, fiction, and animation. Notable works include 'Tehran Without Authorization' (Locarno), 'Red Rose' (TIFF), and 'The Siren,' an animated film about the Iran-Iraq War (Panorama, Berlinale). She is currently developing an Iranian western and a film inspired by her life, while continuing to advocate for democracy in Iran.