Mohammad Bakri obituary: Remembering the titan who transformed Palestinian cinema

From Lebanese musician Ziad Rahbani to Egyptian actor Lotfy Labib, 2025 was a sad year for the MENA region, marked by the loss of several notable regional creatives.

That sense of loss has grown in recent weeks with the death of legendary Palestinian actor, director, and cultural icon Mohammad Bakri, who died at the age of 72 following a cardiac arrest.

To some, Mohammad was a familiar face on screen, known for his roles in Cairo Conspiracy (2022), a film about a fisherman's son who becomes a pawn in the conflict between Egypt's religious and political elites, and for portraying Afghanistan's vice president Abdu Qadir G'ulom in Homeland (2020).

But to many, he is best remembered for Jenin, Jenin (2002), the documentary he directed about an Israeli military operation in the northern West Bank city, during the Second Palestinian Intifada.

Capturing the brutal destruction and heartbreak experienced by its Palestinian residents — primarily through interviews with people from the Jenin refugee camp — the film was banned in Israel. For much of Mohammad's career, many of his critics worked day and night to silence him, whether through unfair fines or repeated legal actions.

Gone but never forgotten, The New Arab pays tribute to his legacy in this special obituary.

Spotlight on life's work

Often described as one of the founding figures of Palestinian cinema, Mohammad was born in the Palestinian village of Bi'ina in the Galilee. He spent his early childhood under Israeli military rule.

At a time when there was no established Palestinian theatre scene, Mohammad began his acting career in Hebrew-language theatres.

His breakthrough came through his involvement in a political cabaret directed by American playwright Joseph Chaikin, which addressed the aftermath of the Sabra and Shatila massacre, bringing him wider attention and leading to an audition with Greek film director Costa-Gavras, conducted by Costa-Gavras's then-assistant, the French filmmaker Claire Denis.

The result was Hanna K. (1983), one of the first mainstream Western films to portray the Palestinian cause sympathetically and to address the right of return.

Reflecting on his role in the film, Mohammad told the British Film Institute (BFI) last year that being the film's main Palestinian performer felt like "carrying a cross on my shoulders."

Following Hanna K., Mohammad starred in the prison drama Beyond the Walls (1984), directed by Israeli film director Uri Barbash. The film centred on the unlikely partnership between Mohammad's character, a PLO detainee, and a Jewish convict.

As Mohammad noted in his BFI interview, Beyond the Walls capitalised on the changing Israeli public opinion toward a two-state solution after the Sabra and Shatila massacre, in which thousands of Palestinian refugees were killed.

He remarked: "Sabra and Shatila shook Israel in a fashion that Gaza sadly did not today."

As the years went by, and his career success grew, Mohammad felt no need to celebrate his achievements; instead, he grappled with "suspicions, questions, and internal conflicts" about headlining Israeli productions. By 2006, he realised he could no longer work in Israeli cinema.

"I realised that my Palestinian narrative can never be accepted by an Israeli filmmaker, no matter how progressive and liberal they are," he explained.

Fortunately, in the late 1980s, Palestinian narrative cinema began to emerge, and Mohammad began to focus on it, describing it as "giving oxygen to my life."

In addition to Jenin, Jenin, Mohammad's other notable works in Palestinian cinema include Palestinian film director Rashid Masharawi's The Shelter (1989), which highlights the struggles of Palestinians working in Tel Aviv, and Palestinian film writer and director Michel Khleifi's Tale of Three Jewels (1995), which follows Yussef, a child of the First Intifada, who embarks on a dangerous adventure that exposes the injustices faced by Gaza's oppressed communities.

More recent features include Upshot (2024), which won the Golden Pardino at the 77th Locarno Film Festival and the Golden Star at the 7th El Gouna Film Festival.

In the film, he plays Suleiman, who, along with his partner Lubna, retreats to a misty, isolated farm to cope with a significant loss, and while the drama is set in a future that people long for, its emotional impact was said to be heightened by Israel's ongoing occupation and genocide in Gaza.

Another recent feature, All That's Left of You (2025), directed by Palestinian-American actress, director, producer, and screenwriter Cherien Dabis, spans three generations under occupation in Palestine, with Mohammad playing Sharif in his later years and his son, Adam Bakri, portraying the younger version of the character.

Having earned acclaim at Sundance, the film is scheduled for international distribution and will represent Jordan at the 98th Academy Awards, a move made more urgent by ongoing violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

While he appeared in other films as well, it is worth noting that Mohammad also had a very special connection with The Freedom Theatre (TFT) in Jenin, a theatre founded by the late Nazareth-born Juliano Mer Khamis, with whom he shared a close friendship.

He was a dedicated supporter of the artists there. He took part in the film In a Thousand Silences (2025), produced by TFT as part of The Revolution's Promise project in collaboration with partners. He was also in ongoing talks to join the artistic committee for the upcoming production, The Martyrs Return to Ramallah, based on the work of the late Palestinian novelist and activist, Walid Daqqa.

The Bakri family

Beyond his own film work, Mohammad's influence is also reflected in his family, particularly in his children.

Several of them have followed in his footsteps by pursuing acting careers and achieving success in their own right. This includes Adam, Saleh Bakri, Ziad Bakri, Mahmoud Bakri, and Yafa Bakri, who have appeared in notable films such as Palestine 36 (2025), A Gaza Weekend (2022), The Teacher (2023), and The Translator (2020).

Reflecting on his father's legacy, Saleh told The New Arab last year about the censorship and persecution his father faced, particularly over his work on Jenin, Jenin.

"From my experience with the censorship and the persecution of my father, it gave the film a push," he said. "People were interested in seeing the film more, but you cannot censor artists today. The internet is there."

He continued: "You cannot just forbid films or forbid people from seeing whatever they want. It's our work; we do what we do, and if they want to censor it, it doesn't matter to me. I know where I stand in this world. I know where I came from, so I know where I'm going. They can bark forever, but I won't give up my fight.”

Adam also reflected on his father's influence, telling Esquire Middle East that growing up surrounded by art and an evolving Arab cultural scene shaped his decision to become an actor and led him to leave home to study at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.

"There was definitely a lot of pressure growing up with your dad as this revered figure in the arts world, even more so when you decide to get into acting yourself," he said. "How could I ever get up to that level?"

Tributes pour in

Since his passing, tributes have poured in from across the creative industry, reflecting Mohammad's lasting impact on Palestinian cinema and cultural life.

Palestinian filmmaker and writer Annemarie Jacir, who worked with Mohammad and Saleh in her acclaimed film Wajib (2017), shared her reflections: “If I had to describe him, I would say he was like a child in the best sense of the word. He was curious, open, vulnerable, playful, and sensitive. He believed that anything could happen, and that’s why we connected. Everything was possible. He thought anything was possible, and when we worked together, the playfulness he possessed was essential.”

She continued, "He was also a professional — one of the most professional people I’ve worked with. Despite all his experience and years of work, he was never a diva. He always arrived at every single meeting and every single rehearsal.

"I remember when I cast him in Wajib. It was his first film with his son Saleh, and their first time acting together. But when I called Mohammad to audition, he said, 'Where have you been? I’ve been waiting for this phone call. What took you so long?'

"Mohammad was also someone who changed and continued to change. He started his career in one way — he was political. He made decisions from his heart, and those decisions led to political positions because he believed in liberation, human freedom, and justice. So, all of his choices came from that place.

"And when he made mistakes, he recognised them and changed. For the generation that thought they could only have careers through Israel, he quickly learned that wasn’t the case, and he made his own path. It’s very important to remember that, and I think his influence on future generations is very, very strong."

As for British-Palestinian filmmaker Farah Nabulsi, she described him as "a stunning artist who believed in cinema as an act of resistance and love."

"He paid an unjust price for speaking truth through his art, particularly through his work Jenin, Jenin," she said. "The outpouring of love that has followed his passing is not only grief, but testimony to a life that mattered profoundly to Palestinian cinema, to the struggle for justice, and to all those who knew him."

She added, "Figures like Mohammad Bakri are larger than life. They do not disappear with passing; they remain, living on through their art, their loved ones, and the truths they refused to abandon."

‘Proud as eagles we will live. Erect as lions, we will die.’ May each Israełi bear this in mind.”

From a documentary called “jenin, jenin” (2002), directed by Mohammad Bakri.pic.twitter.com/kTvQwTCQnh

— Friendly Neighborhood Comrade (@SpiritofLenin) October 18, 2024

Building on Farah's tribute, Munir Atalla, Head of Production & Acquisitions at Watermelon Pictures, called Mohammad "a titan of Palestinian cinema."

"He's the rare artist who has transcended his medium to become an icon of our liberation struggle," he said. "We all stand on his shoulders and mourn his passing. It's an honour beyond words to be releasing his final work, Cherien's All That's Left of You, posthumously in the US."

He continued, "His last performance is one of his most memorable. He and his sons bring us a sweeping epic that will continue to resonate through the ages."

Alana Hadid, designer, activist, and model, also reflected on Mohammad's loss, noting his impact beyond cinema.

"This loss is felt by every Palestinian who long admired his work and his dedication to uplifting Palestinian stories," she said. "But his legacy of talent lives on in his wonderful family, who carry it forward. He will be missed in the film industry and in the world."

Palestinian actress Lama Tatour, who worked with Mohammad early in her career on the play The House of Bernarda Alba (2012) and Wajib, shared her reflections in a series of personal responses.

Asked to describe him in one sentence, she said: "Mohammad Bakri is a rare artist whose voice carried truth with grace, courage, and an unwavering commitment to human dignity."

On what he would be remembered for most, she added, "His performances were brave because they were honest, and his courage was inseparable from the risks he took to tell Palestinian stories that many tried to silence."

Reflecting on his personal influence, Lama explained: "He gave me the belief that acting is not just a craft, but a responsibility, that choosing truth, even when it is costly, is what gives art its meaning and lasting power."

Meanwhile, Palestinian-American filmmaker Rolla Selbak described Mohammad as a figure who embodied artistic possibility at a time when Palestinian art and culture faced immense challenges under Israeli occupation.

"Mohammad Bakri showed us what was, and is, possible," she said. "He represented the pinnacle of Palestinian artistic excellence, resistance, and fatherhood at a time when all three of these ideas are being violently shadowed and erased."

She added, "There is a deep grieving for the loss of a lion, a mountain, a giant. There is also a fire that has been lit in our creative community to keep his flame alive, to tend to it and creatively feed it until his light, through us, warms the whole world as he did with his art."

Reflecting on his work, Rolla recalled watching a screening earlier this year of Janin Jenin, a follow-up to his 2002 film Jenin, Jenin, in which he revisits the Jenin refugee camp and the stories that emerged from it.

"What struck me was how the documentary finally gave us a glimpse into the trials, dangers, and hardships Mohammad Bakri endured living under a brutal occupation inside historic Palestine," she said. "It made me realise that he made creative resistance seem effortless, while he was truly battling for the creative soul of Palestine."

She concluded, "We will always be indebted to what he gave to us all, and his name will forever live on in the artists he inspired."

[Cover photo: Jill Clayburgh and Mohammad Bakri in 'Hanna K.']

Zainab Mehdi is The New Arab's Associate Editor and researcher specialising in governance, development, and conflict in the Middle East and North Africa region 

Follow her on Instagram: @zaiamehdi_/@zainabmehdiwrites_