Palestine submits Citizen Osama for the 2027 Oscars
Palestine has selected the documentary Citizen Osama as its official submission for the 2027 Oscars. The film by director Ahmed Hassouna, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival this week, tells the story of journalist Osama al-Ashi’s life in northern Gaza, Palestine.
A journalist and young father
The documentary shows how al-Ashi combines his work as a journalist with caring for his young son. Finding water, food, fuel, milk and baby cereal becomes a daily struggle for his family. Al-Ashi dreams of making films, but his camera primarily records the destruction around him.
In one episode, the boy asks al-Ashi why a journalist needs water. He replies that journalists, like all people, get thirsty. In another scene, a taxi driver refuses to take him because of his profession: according to the driver, the presence of a journalist could make the car a target.
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Daily life and losses in Gaza
As The National reports, the director, who does not appear on camera, follows his friend at work and at home. The film covers the first year of al-Ashi’s son’s life, from his birth to the celebration of his first birthday.
In the film, the family sorts through spoiled flour, trying to remove insects from it and prepare food, and also asks people on the street whether they have any other products. The reviewer notes that the film depicts a period when hunger in Gaza was intensifying and the search for food, water and fuel took up a significant part of the day.
At the end of the film, a residential tower in the distance collapses, where al-Ashi began his career and creative work. According to him, the building reminded him of Gaza in the past, his ambitions and the life he hoped to build.
