Masharawi, an internationally recognized filmmaker, was the first Palestinian director to be included in the official selection at the Cannes Film Festival in 1996 with his film "Haifa." A Palestinian film director, born in the Gaza Strip and currently living in Ramallah in the West Bank, expressed that art and cinema are not just for entertainment.

He questioned the role of film festivals during major disasters, such as the current situation in Palestine.

Six Palestinian films were included in the Aswan Film Festival, including "Threads of Silk," a 14-minute documentary by Walaa Saadah, who was recently killed in the war, and "I am from Palestine," a five-minute film by Iman Al-Dhawahari about a Palestinian-American girl's shock at seeing a world map without her country in school.

"A Cut Off Future" is a 16-minute documentary by Alia Ardoghli about the lives of 27 girls aged 11-17 in Gaza affected by the Israeli occupation.

Director Masharawi aims to challenge the notion of Israeli self-defense by highlighting the destruction of an artist's studio and the killing of civilians, including artists and intellectuals, during the 2008 conflict between Hamas and Israel.

The conflict resulted in over 1,170 deaths, mostly civilians, and in response, Israel launched a bombing campaign and ground offensive that killed at least 34,183 people, primarily women and children, according to Hamas' health ministry.

Masharawi questions the justification of self-defense when it results in the loss of innocent lives and the targeting of cultural figures.

Two months into the war, Masharawi launched a new project called "Films from Distance Zero" to support cinema in the besieged Gaza Strip.

This fund helps local filmmakers, many of whom have been displaced or are living under bombing, produce films.

Female filmmakers are particularly active in the project.

The Gaza Strip, home to approximately 2.4 million Palestinians, has been under blockade since Hamas took power in 2007.

Theaters in Gaza closed during the First Intifada in the late 1980s but reopened after the Palestinian Authority's creation in the 1990s.

However, Hamas's control led to theaters closing once again, as the political Islamist movement considers film inconsistent with Islamic values.

Last year, an open-air film festival was held in Gaza, emphasizing local customs and traditions.

Palestinian filmmaker, Mahmoud Masharawi, emphasized the importance of supporting cinema to present a different image of Gaza and counter Israeli occupation lies.

Masharawi's work focuses on identity, believing it's challenging for Israel to occupy Palestinian memories, culture, and history.

He views the Israeli war in Gaza as a failed project and believes Arab public solidarity with Palestinians may stem from their powerlessness and restricted systems.

The speaker expresses his disappointment that Arab governments have not become more like their people despite over six months of war.

He had previously hoped for this alignment, but it has not come to pass.