Omar Rammal attends the red carpet during the 71st David Di Donatello in Rome, Italy [Getty]
The film “Everyday in Gaza” has won Best Short Film at Italy’s most prestigious awards, the David di Donatello – often regarded as the Oscars of Italian cinema.
Directed by Palestinian filmmaker Omar Rammal, the 16-minute movie captures the realities of daily life for Palestinians living under genocide, where even the simplest acts – such as caring for children, working or studying – take on the meaning of resistance.
The film follows the Farra family: husband Mohammed, his wife Yusra, and their three children. Mohammed, a barber from al-Qarara in Khan Younis, continues working despite being displaced more than seven times during the war.
“In our homes and in our land, we live and we die,” Mohammed says in the film. “We do not abandon them.”
Mohammed and Yusra describe the heartbreak of being unable to provide for their children – struggling to bathe them, wash their clothes, and secure enough food despite spending hours waiting in line.
“I can’t hold my son,” Mohammed says in the film. “He’d hear my fearful heartbeat.”
The film was shot by Gaza-based journalist Soliman Hijjy between April and May 2025 as part of a project funded by the European Union in collaboration with Save the Children.
It resonated with audiences at Rome’s Cinecittà studios on Wednesday night during the 71st edition of the awards ceremony, which honours the best in Italian and international cinema.
“I stand here today, but my heart and mind are still behind the borders,” Rammal said as he accepted the award. He added that the honour “does not belong to me, but to the people who risked their lives to document the truth.”
He also criticised what he described as the “double standards of many governments (who) have helped allow this genocide to continue,” and stressed that art carries “position and responsibility.”
“As artists, we cannot celebrate creativity while children, civilians, journalists and filmmakers are being killed in Gaza and Lebanon,” he said. “Enough silence and enough killing.”
To date, the film has been screened in more than 90 cinemas worldwide.
Rammal’s work is the latest in a series of films from or about Gaza gaining international recognition.
“The Voice of Hind Rajab”, directed by Kaouther Ben Hania, was nominated for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards and also received a nomination for Best International Film at the Italian awards.
“Palestine 36”, directed by Annemarie Jacir, was selected as Palestine’s entry for Best International Feature Film at this year’s Oscars after winning at the 38th Tokyo International Film Festival in November 2025.
