The Phoenix Of Gaza

In July 2023, Yousef Al-Helou, a London based Palestinian journalist and film maker returned home to Gaza. Al-Helou, a prolific traveller, frequently shared his journeys on his YouTube and Instagram channels. Equipped with a camera he recorded what was to become some of the last footage of Gaza before Israel’s October 8^th 2023 assault on the territory.

After a decade away from home, beginning in 2013 with a fellowship at the Reuters Institute for the study of journalism at Oxford University, Yousef decided to travel back to Gaza to reconnect with the people and places of his childhood. His intention was to make a documentary film, which would reveal the hidden beauties, joys, and treasures of Gaza. Yousef created extensive reportage of Gaza’s historic buildings, recreational spaces, and beach life; of its olive and fruit groves, and its museums, mosques, churches, restaurants, and shopping malls, as well as capturing rare aerial footage of Gaza.

Little did Yousef realise the footage taken during his trip would become some of the final records of the cultural, social and recreational life of the besieged and blockaded enclave prior to its absolute destruction by Israel beginning on October 8^th 2023. 

Growing up a descendant of refugees under Israeli occupation, Yousef’s life was shaped by the relentless conflict around him. This environment, harsh as it was, ignited in him a passion for journalism, a tool he hoped to use to share the truths of his homeland.

His unique and personal records of Gaza in 2023 serve as a valuable archive of the colossal scale of the genocide meted out not only on the lives and homes of Gazans, but also on the civic, education and healthcare systems, as well as cultural and heritage landmarks.

Selecting material from Yousef’s extensive archive, The Phoenix of Gaza is a personal film. It invites viewers to see Gaza through Yousef’s eyes – a place where, despite occupation, blockade and a military onslaught by Israel, Gazans exercise a creativity and resilience, and a beauty that refuses to be extinguished.

Augmented by reflective interviews with Yousef himself and guest commentators, The Phoenix of Gaza provides a tragic glimpse of a society soon to be destroyed, and their perspectives in response. The film demonstrates that Gaza’s residents will not vanish but will rise again.

Yousef is an independent journalist, political analyst, filmmaker, and content creator based in London, England. He obtained a master’s degree in international relations from Brunel University London and is currently a PhD candidate. He has 1 million followers on Instagram.

Yousef’s sister and her seven children were killed on 10th December 2023 by an Israeli strike on their home. They remain buried under rubble. Dozens of Yousef’s relatives and journalist colleagues are among the near 50,000 killed between October 7^th 2023 and January 19^th 2025.

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