With Hasan in Gaza
| With Hasan in Gaza | |
|---|---|
Festival poster | |
| Arabic | مع حسن في غزّة |
| Directed by | Kamal Aljafari |
| Produced by | Kamal Aljafari |
| Cinematography | Kamal Aljafari |
| Edited by | Kamal Aljafari |
| Music by |
|
Production company | Kamal Aljafari Productions |
Release date |
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Running time | 106 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Language | Arabic |
With Hasan in Gaza (Arabic: مع حسن في غزّة, romanized: Maʻa Ḥasan fī Ġazzah) is a 2025 documentary film directed by Kamal Aljafari. The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 78th Locarno Film Festival on 7 August 2025, where it was nominated for the Golden Leopard.
Production
In November 2001, amid the Second Intifada, director Kamal Aljafari began documenting his search for a man he had been imprisoned with in Gaza in 1989; accompanying him in his search was a man named Hasan Elboubou. Aljafari later rediscovered the footage, which was stored on three MiniDV tapes and would become With Hasan in Gaza.[1][2] Aljafari later called the film "an homage to Gaza and its people, to all that was erased and that came back to me in this urgent moment of Palestinian existence, or non-existence. It is a film about the catastrophe, and the poetry that resists."[3][4]
In June 2025, the film received a grant from the Doha Film Institute.[1][5]
Release
A trailer for the film was released on 31 July 2025.[6] The film had its world premiere at the 78th Locarno Film Festival on 7 August 2025.[7] It was later screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival.[2][8] It will also open Festival dei Popoli in November 2025.[9]
Reception
Amber Wilkinson of Screen Daily called the film "a raw but poignant snapshot of Gaza during the Second Intifada".[10]
Writing for Cineuropa, Davide Abbatescianni argued that the film "serves less as an artistic experiment and more as a testament left by a witness," which "invites us to consider how cinema can preserve – and perhaps restore – spaces that have been physically destroyed but must remain alive in memory."[11]
Accolades
| Award | Year | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Locarno Film Festival | 2025 | Golden Leopard | With Hasan in Gaza | Nominated | [12] |
| Europa Cinemas Label | Won |
References
- ^ a b Goodfellow, Melanie (24 June 2025). "Doha Film Institute Gets Behind Upcoming Movies By Cyril Aris, Ahmed Yassin Al-Daradji & Danielle Arbid In Spring Funding Round". Deadline. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- ^ a b Sheded, Mona (8 August 2025). "Palestine's Kamal Aljafari talks Locarno competitor 'With Hasan In Gaza'". Screen Daily. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
- ^ Szalai, Georg (1 August 2025). "Israel, Gaza, Iraq, Lebanon, Korea: Political and Dystopian Films in the Locarno Spotlight". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
- ^ Meza, Ed (7 August 2025). "Kamal Aljafari's Locarno Competition Opener 'With Hasan in Gaza' Rediscovers Lost Existence of Land and People". Variety. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
- ^ Rosser, Michael (25 June 2025). "Ahmed Yassin Al-Daradji, Cyril Aris projects among Doha Film Institute spring selection". Screen Daily. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- ^ Szalai, Georg (31 July 2025). "'With Hasan in Gaza' Is a Cinematic "Homage to Gaza and Its People" (Exclusive Locarno Trailer)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
- ^ Ntim, Zac (8 July 2025). "Locarno: Radu Jude, Abdellatif Kechiche & 'Viet And Nam' Filmmaker Trương Minh Quý Among Directors Set To Debut New Works In Competition". Deadline. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- ^ Ntim, Zac (3 September 2025). "BFI London Film Festival: Chloé Zhao's 'Hamnet' & Kate Moss Biopic 'Moss & Feud' Among Headline Titles — Full List". Deadline. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
- ^ De Marco, Camillo (23 October 2025). "With Hasan in Gaza to open Festival dei Popoli". Cineuropa. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
- ^ Wilkinson, Amber (7 August 2025). "'With Hasan In Gaza' review: Palestinian filmmaker journeys through rediscovered footage in poignant documentary". Screen Daily. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
- ^ Abbatescianni, Davide (11 August 2025). "Review: With Hasan in Gaza". Cineuropa. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
- ^ Balaga, Marta (16 August 2025). "Sho Miyake's 'Two Seasons, Two Strangers' Wins at Locarno". Variety. Retrieved 22 August 2025.