ore than 350 professionals from across the global film industry have signed a letter condemning the death of young Palestinian documentary filmmaker Fatima Hassona, ahead of the opening of the Cannes Film Festival. Hassona was the director of Put Your Soul in Your Hand and Walk.

Cannes, the most prestigious film festival in the world, is known for its support of humanitarian causes and for championing cinema that transcends entertainment. Over the decades, it has showcased films that break new ground and challenge conventions. While the Oscars may dominate mainstream cinema, Cannes has carved a space for work that, broadly speaking, pricks the conscience.

The film industry has long been urged to speak its conscience, particularly when silenced by regimes and authorities around the world. Cinema has faced criticism for sympathising with progressive or Left-leaning causes and has often been attacked for challenging moral or political boundaries.

Since the escalation of conflict in the Middle East, the sheer scale of destruction has led many to question the use of force and the targeting of civilians. All lines appear to have been crossed. Hospitals, childcare centres and humanitarian aid facilities have been attacked in the name of security. Rules of engagement have been flouted while the international community watches in horror.

More journalists have been killed in this conflict than in any other war combined – and many of them deliberately. Those seeking to report the reality on the ground have been silenced or killed, with the intention of presenting only one side of the narrative.

Reporters and filmmakers who attempt to tell the truth have long faced threats, intimidation and violence. In recent months, producers, directors and screenwriters have been subjected to harassment, censorship and brutality. Truth and creative expression have become among the greatest casualties of the conflict.

Academics, journalists and human rights organisations have expressed alarm at the erosion of free speech and the targeted shutdown of funding to critical media and cultural outlets.

Professionals across all areas of filmmaking have signed the petition. While celebrities and directors often dominate public attention, the petition is a reminder that cinema is a collective effort. Technicians, editors, set designers, composers and countless others are part of this world – and they too carry values and a conscience they cannot ignore. This, then, is a call not from a glamorous elite, but from the entire filmmaking community.

In a world scarred by violence and repression – in the name of religion, politics, race, economics, ethnicity, language or culture – there has always been a counter-narrative. The indomitable human spirit resurfaces again and again to uphold objectivity and justice. Hats off to Fatima Hassona for doing so at such a young age. Like others before her, she has set a standard for truth and integrity. Her voice may have been silenced, but her example lives on. The human spirit cannot be extinguished forever. There will always be those, like Hassona, who carry the torch of dignity.

The writer is a culture critic based in Lahore.