In an email to a colleague in the West Bank of Palestine who was involved in my film I am Palestine, I wrote, “I fear that when last we communicated in 2021 things were bad. Now, they are only worse … far worse. The madness never ends, it seems, for Palestine and the world. I do what I can to tell the story of the real Palestine and its beautiful, resilient people. Please let me know how you are doing, your family, and your friends.”

“Your message means a great deal, thank you for remembering, and for still standing with us through the darkness. You’re right… things were bad then, and somehow they’ve grown even worse, in ways I struggle to put into words. The weight of it all is heavy loss, fear, injustice but so too is the strength and love that still live in the hearts of our people.

My family and I are hanging on, day by day. Some nights are more difficult than others, especially when there are raids nearby or when news from Gaza leaves us speechless. But even now, in all this heartbreak, we hold each other close and try to keep living with dignity.

Thank you for continuing to tell our story. That matters. That truly matters. If people like you stop speaking, the silence becomes complicity. Please keep writing, sharing, remembering. I’ll keep doing the same from here.”

I responded, in part, “It seems our species needs a reset, a complete meltdown before we remember that we are all the same—all human, all parents to beloved children, all wanting a better life than was possible for the prior generation.”

“Your words echo deeply. Sometimes it feels like the only way forward is through collapse, that only in the ashes can we remember what truly matters: our shared humanity, our children’s futures, the quiet, universal longing for peace and dignity.

In Palestine, we are living that meltdown in real time. And still, we hold on not because we are fearless, but because we know the value of every breath, every moment with loved ones, every act of resistance that reaffirms life.
 

Thank you for remembering us, for continuing to tell the story of Palestine with clarity and compassion. That is a form of resistance too.”