JERUSALEM: Actor and filmmaker Mohammed Bakri, a champion of the Palestinian cause, died on Wednesday aged 72, a hospital spokesperson said.
He was known for his documentary “Jenin, Jenin” and his commitment to the Palestinians, which led to frequent confrontations with Israeli authorities.
“Mohammed Bakri died this Wednesday at the Galilee Medical Center” in the northern Israeli city of Nahariya, hospital spokesperson Gal Zaid told AFP.
He died from heart and lung problems, according to his family.
Born in Galilee in 1953 into a Muslim family, Bakri was an Israeli citizen.
He appeared in leading Israeli films but was also directed by the French-Greek director Costa-Gavras and Italian filmmakers Paolo and Vittorio Taviani.
His role as a Palestinian inmate in an Israeli prison in the 1980s film “Beyond the Walls” earned him critical acclaim in Israel and around the world.
But his international renown grew with the release of 2002’s “Jenin, Jenin,” which denounced alleged Israeli war crimes in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank during the Second Intifada.
The Israeli Supreme Court upheld a ban on the film in 2022, deeming it “defamatory.”
The father of six also directed several socially conscious documentaries about the situation of Palestinian citizens of Israel.
Arab-Israeli radio station A-Shams published a tribute on its social media, describing Bakri as a “free voice.”
“From his early days in theater, art was not simply a pastime for Mohammed Bakri, but a tool for raising awareness and engaging in dialogue,” the radio station said.
“The legacy left by Mohammed Bakri will remain, reminding us that art can be an act of resistance.”
Mohammed Bakri, filmmaker who championed Palestinian cause, dies aged 72
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Mohammed Bakri, filmmaker who championed Palestinian cause, dies aged 72
- Bakri was known for his documentary “Jenin, Jenin” which denounced alleged Israeli war crimes in the Jenin refugee camp
- The father of six also directed several socially conscious documentaries about the situation of Palestinian citizens of Israel
Lolo Zouai takes to Berlin’s Colors platform
DUBAI: French Algerian singer Lolo Zouai took to the Berlin-based music platform Colors this week, delivering a live performance of her latest single “Desert Rose PT.II.”
The appearance comes as the track climbed to No. 1 on Algeria’s R&B chart within 24 hours of its release. A sequel to “Desert Rose” from her 2019 debut album “High Highs to Low Lows,” the new single features lyrics in Arabic, French and English, reflecting the cross-cultural influences that shape her sound.
Zouai marked the achievement on Instagram, sharing a series of posts including a photo of herself wearing an Algeria football jersey, alongside the single’s cover art and a screenshot showing its chart ranking.
“Grateful for the love on this one. Can’t wait for you to hear the studio version and the rest of ‘Reverie’,” she wrote.
She also reposted a collage of fan reactions, including a TikTok video that read: “It’s 2026 and we still haven’t had another song like ‘Desert Rose’ out.” Others said: “Can’t wait for Desert Rose pt. 2” and “wdym desert rose pt. 2?!?!?!”
The single forms part of her upcoming third studio album, “Reveries,” due for release on April 24. She announced the date last month alongside the music video for “Holding On,” another track from the project.
Blending R&B with dance-pop elements, “Holding On” delves into themes of grief and memory. The video is dedicated to Zouai’s close friend, Hanna Rosa Hotchkiss, who died in 2021.
In a statement on Instagram, Zouai described the album as the product of a transformative period in her life: “This record was made through three years of grief, growth, and reflection. I had to lose myself to find myself again. I couldn’t have done it without my angel, Hanna. Thank you to my collaborators, my friends, and my Lo-riders who held me down through it all. I hope it heals you the way it healed me.”
Known for her blend of R&B, club-pop and hip-hop, Zouai has gained an international fan base for her dynamic stage presence and genre-blending music.
Zouai’s last release was in November, when she dropped a new single titled “3AM in San Francisco.”
