Mohammad Bakri, acclaimed Palestinian actor and filmmaker whose work captured struggles and stories of his people, has died at the age of 72. He passed away on Wednesday at Galilee Medical Centre in Nahariya, northern Israel. He was battling heart and lung problems.
A career that spanned five decades
Bakri’s career stretched over fifty years. During this, he became defining figure in Palestinian cinema. From acting in films to directing provocative documentaries, Bakri’s work challenged dominant narratives in the region. He helped to bring Palestinian experiences to global audiences.
He first appeared on screen at age 30 in Costa-Gavras’s ‘Hanna K’ where he portraying Palestinian refugee trying to reclaim his family’s home. His role as Palestinian prisoner in 1984 film ‘Beyond the Walls’ earned him international recognition. The film received an Academy Award nomination.
Over his career, he appeared in more than 40 films. He directed documentaries that explored the lives of Palestinians under occupation and within Israel.
‘Jenin, Jenin’ and the fight against censorship
Bakri’s 2002 documentary ‘Jenin, Jenin’ became defining work of his career. This film captured voices of Palestinians in Jenin refugee camp following deadly Israeli military operation that claimed 52 lives.
Israeli authorities banned the film in 2021. Supreme Court upheld this decision in 2022 calling it defamatory. Bakri, who always defended his work as a truthful account, vowed to appeal the verdict, telling ‘Walla News’, “It is unfair, it is neutering my truth.” Five Israeli soldiers had filed a lawsuit against him, resulting in fines and the seizure of all copies of the documentary.
The stage and ‘The Pessoptimist’
Bakri was also a celebrated theater artist. His solo performance in ‘The Pessoptimist’, adapted from Emile Habibi’s novel about Palestinian identity, was staged over 1,500 times across the globe.
A family legacy in film
Born in 1953 in the Galilee village of Bi’ina, Bakri studied Arabic literature and theatre at Tel Aviv University. He is survived by his wife Leila and six children, including actors Saleh, Ziad, and Adam, who continue his cinematic legacy.
His funeral took place the same day in his hometown marking the end of an era for Palestinian arts and cinema.