Between Sky and Sea

A portrait of daily life in displacement, Between Sky and Sea follows Palestinians in Gaza's largest displacement camp through the summer of 2024, culminating in a mass march home to northern Gaza.

A short docu-film by photojournalist Ismail Abu Hatab, covering life in displacement during the genocide in Gaza in 2024. The film is largely wordless. With the exception of a few interviews with older individuals, Between Sky and Sea is an artful compilation of daily life in displacement. Most of the footage comes from Deir Al-Balah in Summer 2024 — at the time, the largest displacement camp in Gaza. It concludes with footage of the mass march back to northern Gaza later that same year. The film was made as part of an immersive exhibition, "Between Sky and Sea," which featured Abu Hatab's photography, a recreation of a Gazan tent, and an audio design of the sounds of Gaza. The exhibition has travelled to Los Angeles, Chicago, London and Greece. Ismail Abu Hatab was martyred in the bombing of Al-Baqa Cafe on 30 June 2025. His photography received a prize at the 2025 CCFD Terre-Solidaire awards in Paris. His work continues to be shown through his organization, ByPa ("By Palestine").

Director — Ismail Abu Hatab

Ismail Abu Hatab is a Palestinian photographer, filmmaker, and founder of BYPA — by Palestine from Gaza, whose work powerfully captures the resilience, grief, and spirit of a people living under blockade. Through his lens, he documents not only the visible destruction of homes and lives, but also the unseen emotional and cultural impact of displacement and conflict. His photography is deeply rooted in personal experience, offering an unfiltered look at daily life in Gaza with humanity, honesty, and urgency. As both a visual storyteller and filmmaker, Abu Hatab brings to light stories that are too often overlooked — transforming individual suffering into collective memory and resistance.