Art Amidst Chaos  3 min Documenting Resilience and Hope in Gaza

In the heart of the Gaza Strip, where destruction looms and uncertainty has pervaded daily life for over a year, artists are crafting narratives of hope and resilience. Their work transcends the turmoil engulfing their homeland, capturing the essence of Palestinian identity while bearing witness to the conflict's tragic realities.

In early October 2024, Palestinian film director Saud Muhanna was busy putting the final touches to a workshop for training 20 Gazan children how to produce films. Amidst the bombings, displacement, debris and hunger, the 60-year-old director along with fellow director Yossef Khattab held a crash course for the participants over several days, after which the young artists produced four short documentaries. To them, the workshop was their form of resistance.

“We are working hard to make these children the guardians of the Palestinian memory and to record their stories, which carry their concerns, suffering and steadfastness, via their mobile phones,” he said in an interview.

“Displacement” “Community Kitchen” “Hope” and “Our Home” were the fruit of the workshop, which were screened in an event on October 20, and watched by dozens who attended, gathered beneath a parachute that was used to airdrop aid over the enclave for aesthetics. The four short documentaries chronicled the harsh realities of war from the children's perspectives who survived it for over a year.

Having been forcibly displaced from his home in northern Khan Younis to Deir al-Balah, Muhanna joins scores of artists in the embattled enclave whose lives have been uprooted by Israel’s retaliatory war which began 7 October 2023, displacing over 80% of the enclave’s 2.3 million people.*

Yet, despite the unfathomable humanitarian circumstances, Muhanna has found ways to put his artistic skills and expertise in the service of his people.

In July 2024, he led a team into organising the 8th International Return Film Festival. In the barren coastal district of Al-Mawasi area, on a large screen propelled amidst the ruins and rubble, and with nothing more than plastic chairs and rocks as seats, the festival showed 91 films from 31 countries, with the purpose of uniting Gazans with communities in the West Bank, Egypt, Morocco, and Australia through the art of moving pictures.
  “I believe this festival is my mission, a vital part of serving my people and the Palestinian cause,” Muhanna had said in an interview at the time.

The festival, along with the workshop, were his means of resilience, he explained, focusing on crucial issues such as the plight of refugees and the ongoing struggles faced by Palestinians under siege.

Israel has placed Gaza under airtight closure—blocking access to food, water, fuel, electricity, medical supplies, and other goods. As a result, people are dying of starvation and disease, as the strip is pounded by blanket bombings resulting in an unprecedented humanitarian crisis that grows worse by the day.

The act of organizing such events under current conditions, Muhanna admits, felt almost absurd to those he approached for support. Yet, the power of art has kindled solidarity within the artistic community. Those around him rallied to the cause, driven by a collective understanding that even in the grim reality of war, the artistic expression of their struggles could serve as a beacon of hope.

“Artistic production is a form of resistance,” he explains. “It affirms our narrative and brings attention to our plight to the world.”

Painting hope

Meanwhile, another artist, Ahmed Saadoun, uses a different medium to conjure hope amidst despair. In the midst of despair and devastation, a single smile on a crumbling wall serves as a powerful testament to resilience. He paints vibrant, smiling faces on the debris of bombed-out buildings, leaving a trail of colour in the grey, sooty landscape of destruction.

At just 20 years old, Saadoun has endured unimaginable hardships: the loss of family, the destruction of his home, and the constant threat of death surrounding him. Yet, he chose to present his smiling face to the world, a humanitarian message of the strength and spirit of the Palestinian people.

His mission is simple yet profound: to counterbalance the pervasive sorrow with visual reminders of joy.

“I refuse to perpetuate misery,” he states as he carefully paints the face of a little girl he encountered in a refugee shelter after losing her father.

“In these dire circumstances, people need to see beauty and happiness. "Haven't they witnessed enough scenes of death and destruction?”

His philosophy resonates deeply; he seeks to uplift spirits torn by conflict, replacing tears with laughter, if only for momentarily. Saadoun believes that art possesses a transformative power, one that can nurture hope in the hearts of his community even as they grapple with pain and loss.

The permanence of the written word

As destruction shreds traces of any beauty in the Gaza strip, literary voices like that of novelist and director Mustafa Al-Nabih strive to document the everyday realities of war, and recalls memories of beauty from the past.

Through his writings and films, he explores the complex tapestry of human experiences marred by violence but illuminated by resilience. Al-Nabih’s works serve as historical diaries that capture the depth of Palestinian suffering while simultaneously celebrating their unwavering spirit.

He has dedicated himself to creating a historical record of the current conflict. His literary contributions, including a recently published book by the Palestinian Ministry of Culture titled “Behind the Lines”, aim to encapsulate the truth of life amid chaos.

“Every word and image acts as a testament to our struggle for existence,” he reflects. Together with fellow artists producing documentaries about their shared experiences, they create a rich narrative that showcases the determination of the Palestinian people to rise above their circumstances.

Al-Nabih’s cinematic endeavours further this mission. He has already produced two notable films:

“Offerings” — a poignant 4-minute documentary likening the plight of modern Palestinians to historical sacrifices made in the name of faith, and “Gaza Artists, where to?” — which narrates the harrowing journeys of three artists during the war. Each artist's story - a loss of family, displacement, and shattered dreams -highlights not only the fragility of life but also the indomitable spirit of those who refuse to succumb to despair.

“We are makers of life, not worshippers of death,” Al-Nabih insists, echoing the sentiments of many artists in the enclave.

Al-Nabih portrays these narratives as vital human documents that illuminate the resilience of the Palestinian people. "I document war with an emphasis on the Palestinians' love for life and their animosity toward death," he explains, and that the true essence of artistic expression lies in conveying the struggle against oppression while celebrating life.

Despite battling the absence of resources for artistic production amid consistent upheaval, they refuse to let their creativity be extinguished. “Our narratives are not just about survival. We seek to inspire hope, embody resilience, and give voice to the human spirit in the face of insurmountable odds,” he noted.

To all those creating Art, art in Gaza transcends mere expression; it becomes a lifeline—a pulsating heartbeat advocating for justice and humanity, transcending borders and igniting hope in the hearts of all who encounter it.

This piece was published in collaboration with Egab.

November 2025