Citizen Osama

Ahmed Hassouna closely follows Osama and depicts how residents survive on bread based on animal feed, or how they flee en masse to the south for evacuation drop-offs and seek comfort by the sea, the only place that seems unchanged.

Hassouna films Osama’s personal life, his responsibility for his newborn child, and the paralyzing fears that fatherhood brings under a blanket of violence. Osama’s own parents also come into view, who fear for their son's life every day. Osama constantly navigates between his work as a reporter and caring for his family.

Besides constant danger, the documentary also shows the resilience, camaraderie, and hope of the Palestinians. From silly jokes and private moments between journalists during rare moments of calm to fantasizing about eggplant with tahini: Citizen Osama is an empathetic and tumultuous portrait of the urge to remain human when everything around you is falling apart.