Mohammad Bakri attends a Supreme Court hearing in Jerusalem about his film 'Jenin, Jenin,' on May 16, 2021.
Mohammad Bakri, Palestinian director of 'Jenin, Jenin' passes away
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- Palestinian filmmaker and actor Mohammad Bakri has passed away at 72 after heart disease.
- Bakri was best known for “Jenin, Jenin” and for amplifying the Palestinian narrative in cinema and theater.
Palestinian actor and director Mohammad Bakri, best known for the documentary "Jenin, Jenin" has passed away at the age of 72. He died at Nahariya Hospital after suffering from heart disease.
Bakri is survived by six children, five sons and a daughter.
Career spanning stage and screen
Born in the Galilee town of Bi’ina, Bakri built a decades-long career across theater and films. He performed on some of the most prominent stages, including Habima Theatre, Haifa Theatre, and the Khan Theatre, becoming one of the most recognizable Arab actors working inside occupied Palestine.
His film work included international and regional productions. Bakri appeared in Costa-Gavras’ “Hanna K.”, Haim Buzaglo’s “The Scar”, Eran Riklis’ “Cup Final”, and “On a Clear Day You Can See Damascus”.
More recently, he acted in the Jordanian film “All That’s Left of You”, which was submitted as Jordan’s entry for the Academy Awards.
‘Jenin, Jenin’ and lasting controversy
Bakri gained global attention as the director of “Jenin, Jenin”, a documentary centered on Palestinian experiences during the 2002 'Israeli' military operation in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. The film sparked years of legal and political battles, including bans, lawsuits, and public attacks against Bakri.
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Throughout his career, Bakri’s work consistently focused on the Israeli Occupation and sought to foreground the Palestinian narrative, a stance that made him both influential and deeply polarizing.
