Citizen Osama
| Citizen Osama | |
|---|---|
 International promotional poster | |
| Arabic | المواطن أسامة |
| Directed by | Ahmed Hassouna |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | Osama Al-Ashi |
| Cinematography | Ahmed Hassouna |
| Edited by | Denis Le Paven |
| Music by | Rasmus Steen |
Production companies |
|
Release date |
|
Running time | 69 minutes |
| Countries |
|
| Language | Palestinian Arabic |
Citizen Osama (Arabic: المواطن أسامة, romanized: Al mowaten Osama) is a 2026 documentary film directed by Ahmed Hassouna. A co-production of Palestine and France, it follows the besieged lives of the Palestinian population during the ongoing Gaza war.[1][2]
The film had its world premiere out of competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on 5 September 2026.[3] It was also selected as the Palestinian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards.[4]
Premise
Osama was a professional artistic photographer until the beginning of the ongoing Gaza war, now he struggles to provide for his wife and their infant amid hunger and wartime.
Release
The film had its world premiere out of competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on 5 September 2026.[3]
In late August, Roger Waters, Annie Ernaux, Matteo Garrone, Jasmine Trinca, Saleh Bakri, Céline Sciamma, among many other industry talents, signed an open letter organized by the Venice4Palestine collective calling the festival to take concrete action in support of Palestine, in the wake of the selection of two Palestinian films (Citizen Osama and Conversation with the Sea) about the ongoing conflict.[5][6]
It was also selected as the Palestinian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards.[4]
See also
References
- ↑ "From Ground Zero". COORIGINES PRODUCTION. Retrieved 2026-09-01.
- ↑ "Citizen Osama de Ahmad Hassouna (2026) - Unifrance". en.unifrance.org. Retrieved 2026-09-01.
- 1 2 "Biennale Cinema 2026 | Al mowaten Osama (Citizen Osama)". La Biennale di Venezia. 2026-07-17. Retrieved 2026-09-01.
- 1 2 "«الثقافة» الفلسطينية ترشح «المواطن أسامة» للأوسكار". aawsat.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 2026-09-01.
- ↑ Goodfellow, Melanie (2026-08-28). "Venice: Open Letter Calls For Action In Support Of Palestine". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-08-29.
- ↑ "Film world calls on Venice Film Festival to fly Palestinian flag". Daily Sabah. 2026-08-30. Retrieved 2026-09-01.
