A new documentary titled From Gaza With Love sheds light on the experiences of children living through the ongoing genocidal war in Gaza, placing their testimonies at the centre of the narrative. Presented at the Geneva International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights, the film was co-directed by French journalist Charles Villa and Palestinian reporter Suhail Nassar, who joined the discussion remotely. Funded through public contributions, the documentary is expected to be released freely on the video platform YouTube.

The project began as an attempt to document the devastating consequences of the genocidal war through footage captured directly inside Gaza. According to Villa, the initial motivation came from witnessing a large number of videos showing wounded civilians and children struggling to survive in overwhelmed hospitals. The scenes, often filmed in emergency rooms with minimal resources, revealed the profound toll the violence has taken on the youngest members of society.

Rather than focusing solely on the destruction, the filmmakers chose to build the story around the voices of children themselves. Using vlog-style recordings filmed by Nassar inside Gaza, the documentary follows young residents as they describe their daily lives, fears and hopes while living amid relentless devastation. The intention was to allow those most affected to tell their own stories over time rather than appearing briefly as anonymous victims.

Villa explained that he expected major broadcasters would hesitate to support such a project when the genocidal war first escalated in late 2023. Turning to crowdfunding allowed the team to retain editorial independence and ensure the documentary could reach a wide audience without restrictions. Making the film freely available online, the filmmakers hope, will help raise broader awareness of the humanitarian reality facing Gaza’s children.

The directors believe that amplifying these testimonies is essential for global audiences trying to understand the human consequences of the ongoing genocidal war. By presenting personal accounts recorded from within Gaza, the film aims to transform distant statistics into individual stories that resonate beyond the region.