GENEVA 

French actress Juliette Binoche opened the 77th Cannes Film Festival with an emotional tribute to Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza last month, just one day after learning that a documentary she features in had been selected for the prestigious festival.

"On April 16, at dawn in Gaza, 25-year-old photojournalist Fatima Hassouna and 10 relatives were killed by a missile that hit their home," Binoche, who is serving as the jury president this year, said on Tuesday. "Fatma should have been among us tonight."

The documentary, Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk, directed by exiled Iranian filmmaker Sepideh Farsi, is scheduled to premiere on Thursday in Cannes. The film features Hassouna's work and voice, capturing her life and perspective amid the war in Gaza.

Binoche's tribute drew strong emotional reactions from the audience and spotlighted the growing unease within the film community over the ongoing violence. Her remarks follow an open letter signed by more than 380 film professionals expressing shame over what they called the industry's "passivity" regarding the war in Gaza.