Mohammad Bakri, the Palestinian actor and filmmaker whose career spanned more than four decades across Arab, Israeli, and international cinema, has died at the age of 72.
His death from heart disease, was confirmed by family members and reported by multiple international outlets.
Born on November 27, 1953, in Bi’ina in northern Israel, Bakri studied theatre and Arabic literature at Tel Aviv University. He emerged in the early 1980s as one of the most prominent Arab actors working in Israeli and European film, known for performances that brought depth and complexity to Palestinian characters.
Bakri gained international attention for his role in Costa Gavras’s Hanna K (1983), portraying a Palestinian refugee engaged in a legal struggle over his family’s land. He went on to appear in a wide range of films including Private (2004), which won the Golden Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival, and The Time That Remains (2009), directed by Elia Suleiman.
In addition to his film career, Bakri also appeared on American television. He had a notable supporting role in the Showtime series Homeland, appearing during the show’s third season. His involvement in the series marked a rare instance of a Palestinian actor from his generation appearing in a major US television production.
As a filmmaker, Bakri directed the controversial documentary Jenin, Jenin (2003), which presented testimonies from Palestinian residents following an Israeli military operation in the Jenin refugee camp. The film was banned in Israel and led to years of legal battles, but it also became one of the most widely discussed Palestinian documentaries of its era.
Bakri continued acting into his later years, often alongside his sons Saleh and Adam Bakri. His last released film was All That’s Left of You, a multigenerational drama chronicling the history of a Palestinian family from 1948 to the present. The film premiered internationally and was shortlisted by the Academy Awards in the category for Best International Feature Film.
He is survived by his wife, Leila, and children, including his sons, actors Saleh Bakri and Adam Bakri.
Image source: Eman
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