Entertainment25 December, 20253 min read
Palestinian Actor-Director Mohammad Bakri, Creator of 'Jenin, Jenin,' Dies at 72
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Died at age 72 in northern Israel Directed a widely debated 2003 documentary about the Jenin refugee-camp events
6 outlets told this the same way.
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Death of Mohammad Bakri
Prominent Palestinian actor-director Mohammad Bakri has died at 72, his family and media outlets reported. Press TV said he died at Nahariya Hospital after suffering a heart-related illness. PBS also reported that Bakri's family announced his death at age 72.
“Prominent Palestinian actor-director Mohammad Bakri has died at 72 at Nahariya Hospital after suffering heart-related illness.”
Gulf News said he had been suffering from heart-related health issues and that he was buried in his hometown of Bi’ina in northern Israel. Gulf News added that his son, actor Saleh Bakri, announced the death on Instagram. Indulgexpress reported that he had been battling heart and lung ailments, according to his family.
Bakri's bilingual acting career
Bakri’s career spanned stage and screen in both Arabic and Hebrew. PBS noted he worked in both Arabic and Hebrew to explore Palestinian identity and culture. Gulf News said he began his career in the 1980s, performing in Arabic and Hebrew across Palestinian and Israeli theatre and film, and made his cinematic debut in Hanna K. by Costa-Gavras.
Press TV wrote that over a long career he appeared in more than 40 films and directed several works, including 1948 (1998), Min Yum Mahrucht (2005), Zahara (2009), Water (2012) and Blackness (2014). Indulgexpress said he built a multi-decade career in both Arabic and Hebrew theater and film, appearing in some 43 works and gaining acclaim for his one-man stage piece The Pessoptimist.
Documentary Jenin, Jenin
He was best known internationally for his documentary Jenin, Jenin, a work sources describe as both documentary testimony and a lightning rod for controversy. Press TV calls it the "2002 documentary Jenin, Jenin, which recorded Palestinian testimony about the Israeli military assault on the Jenin refugee camp." Gulf News describes the film as the "controversial 2002 documentary Jenin, Jenin — which documented alleged destruction in the Jenin refugee camp during Operation Defensive Shield and was later banned from public screening by the Israeli Film Board."
“Bakri was best known for his 2002 documentary Jenin, Jenin, which recorded Palestinian testimony about the Israeli military assault on the Jenin refugee camp; the film provoked sustained controversy in Israel, led to repeated legal challenges and was banned from screening across the occupied territories by an Israeli court in 2021.”
PBS refers to it as the "2003 documentary 'Jenin, Jenin' about an Israeli military operation during the second intifada — a film that was banned in Israel." Indulgexpress likewise describes the "2003 documentary Jenin, Jenin, which documented the 2002 Israeli military operation in Jenin, was banned in Israel and led to nearly two decades of legal battles."
Bakri's later career coverage
In later years, Bakri became a divisive figure in Israel but continued to work and often appeared alongside family. Indulgexpress reported that after the controversy he largely left mainstream Israeli cinema and late in life appeared with his sons Adam and Saleh Bakri in the 2025 film All That's Left of You, which was shortlisted for the Academy Award for best international feature. PBS similarly noted he appeared in the 2025 film All That's Left of You, about a Palestinian family spanning 76 years, acting alongside his sons and that the film was also shortlisted for the Academy Award for best international feature.
Press TV and Gulf News did not mention the 2025 film in their brief notices and instead listed other titles from his directing and acting résumé. Gulf News emphasized his earlier credits and burial details, writing that he appeared in dozens of films including the acclaimed 1984 production Beyond the Walls.
Media portrayals of Bakri
Sources vary in tone when describing Bakri's legacy: West Asian outlets emphasize his Palestinian advocacy and the contentious political impact of Jenin, Jenin, while the Western mainstream account highlights identity and culture alongside his career. Press TV records that Bakri 'repeatedly defended the film and said he would make it again to expose what he called crimes by the occupation,' and Indulgexpress remembers him as 'a steadfast voice for the Palestinian cause.'
“Bakri repeatedly defended the film and said he would make it again to expose what he called crimes by the occupation.”
Gulf News calls him 'renowned' and details his cross-cultural career and burial, whereas PBS frames him as an artist who 'worked in both Arabic and Hebrew to explore Palestinian identity and culture' and notes his role in a recent internationally recognized film. These differences reflect each outlet's editorial priorities and audiences.
