Citizen Osama Review: An Intimate Look at Daily Survival and Journalism in Gaza

When Osama Al-Ashi approaches a young boy with a water tank, the boy poses a simple question: why does a journalist need water? Osama explains that journalists are ordinary people who get thirsty, too. In Ahmed Hassouna’s documentary Citizen Osama, which follows his friend in northern Gaza, a taxi driver even refuses to pick up Osama because carrying a journalist could turn the vehicle into a target.

While his profession defines him to his neighbors, Osama’s primary focus remains on the basic necessities of life. Having recently become a father, finding baby milk or Cerelac is as difficult as securing shelter. Although he dreams of becoming a filmmaker, his camera is currently dedicated to documenting the devastation surrounding him.

Hassouna’s film, which premiered at the Venice Festival and stands as Palestine’s submission for the 2027 Oscars, portrays Osama with remarkable patience and affection. Osama proves to be an ideal subject—warm, humble, and determined to keep working despite the immense challenges facing him and his loved ones. While many films about Gaza concentrate on the early months of the conflict, Citizen Osama captures life further into the year as hunger deepens and the daily search for food, fuel, and water consumes all time.

Life has continued beyond the filming process. Despite ceasefires, families in Gaza still face ongoing violence, malnutrition, and unsafe water. Speaking via Zoom, Hassouna described contending with the exact same daily struggles as his friend. Remaining off camera, Hassouna stays close to Osama at home and between assignments, offering viewers an intimate look at Osama's gentleness and resilience.

As friends and colleagues are lost, the documentary's deep intimacy makes each death profoundly painful. Every tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the dangers Osama faces whenever he leaves his family. His child depends on his return, while the people whose stories he documents rely on journalists to keep working. Hassouna utilizes sparse editing and a measured pace to reveal the sheer amount of labor required simply to survive, showing Osama's family inspecting spoiled flour for edible pieces.

Some of the captured images—ranging from relentless destruction to everyday persistence—are among the most striking to emerge from Gaza. Towards the end of the film, a man searches a half-collapsed apartment building for belongings, leaving viewers to wonder whether his perilous task is driven by survival or sentimentality.

Late in the narrative, a residential tower is destroyed, and Osama notes that this loss feels particularly personal because it was where he began his career and artistic pursuits. The documentary opens with the birth of his son and closes with the child's first birthday, as family members gather to celebrate despite the bleak circumstances. Citizen Osama ultimately offers little political optimism, but it powerfully reinforces faith in basic human empathy and the enduring instinct to care for one another during desperate times.