A Digital Epistolary Masterpiece
In an age of digital connection, a profound new documentary form has emerged, telling one of the most harrowing stories of our time through the simple, intimate medium of video calls. Sepideh Farsi's documentary "Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk" achieves what few war films can – genuine, unfiltered immediacy from inside a conflict zone.
The Making of an Unplanned Documentary
The film's origins lie in frustration. Iranian director Sepideh Farsi had been unable to secure a visa to enter Gaza to document the living conditions under near-constant bombardment. Connecting with Palestinian refugees in Cairo, she was introduced to Fatma Hassouna, a 25-year-old Palestinian poet and photojournalist, who agreed to be her boots-on-the-ground contact.
What began as research for a different project quickly transformed into the documentary itself. Farsi recorded their video calls over subsequent months, capturing Hassouna's descriptions of her family's daily struggle for survival. The conversations covered the grim reality of securing food, the collapse of basic services, and the relentless loss of friends, family, and neighbours.
Hassouna's family members became familiar faces, moving in and out of the frame within their cramped apartment. The ever-present soundtrack of planes overhead and distant explosions contrasted sharply with Hassouna's resilient smile, though she was openly frank about her deepening depression.
The Raw Final Footage
While news broadcasts have shown glimpses of the Gaza conflict, this documentary's final ten minutes deliver a visceral punch that news footage cannot. Days before her death, Hassouna took her camera and walked through the streets of Gaza, capturing footage that resembles post-World War II Europe – shattered buildings and shell-shocked civilians navigating the rubble.
The power of this sequence is magnified by the tragic timing. Hassouna sent this footage just before she and her family were killed. Their building was shelled by the Israeli military on April 16, 2025, merely a day after the work-in-progress documentary was included in the Cannes Film Festival program.
Farsi's directorial choice to include the mundane moments – the dropped calls, the waiting, the growing friendship – builds a palpable sense of anxiety and reminds viewers that ordinary life persists even amidst extraordinary horror. In its simple construction, using tools like WhatsApp and Zoom familiar to millions, the film forges a powerful connection that makes the eventual loss profoundly personal for the audience.
Critics are already tipping "Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk" as a strong contender for the Best Documentary Oscar, recognising its unique and heartbreaking contribution to cinema and historical record.
