"The Gold Hugo goes to PUT YOUR SOUL ON YOUR HAND AND WALK, directed by Sepideh Farsi. We were deeply moved by the film's original mode of storytelling. Unable to enter the besieged Gaza strip herself, Farsi forges a profoundly intimate connection through a year-long series of video calls with young Palestinian photojournalist and poet Fatma Hassona. The visual simplicity of mobile phone exchanges, personal photos and Fatma's own images of her city and people, creates a sense of closeness and immediacy, drawing us into the daily reality of life under siege. Farsi paints a complementary overview of what war does to people, as we witness Fatma Hassona's mental state slowly declining: from joyful and hopeful to distracted and distraught. Through a lens of witness and empathy, the film becomes not only a portrait of resilience but also a living memorial to Fatma."
