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In a new project, Canadian-Sudanese artist Mustafa has released a song titled ‘Gaza is Calling’ with a poignant short film to accompany the release starring Bella Hadid.
Directed by Hiam Abbass and Sakir Khader, the clip shows Hadid and 15-year-old Gazan rap prodigy MC Abdul as a mother and son who have sought refuge from conflict. Initially, the duo share in intimate moments, with their safety marked by a palpable sense of trauma. These scenes are apposed with footage of refugee Israa Ahmed and her little brother, who are currently housed in a Jenin displaced peoples camp. As parallel footage of war escalates, with Ahmed’s innocent play turning to anguish, the mother and son’s joy devolves to rage. The short film culminates in flashing images of people and violence before ending on an empty ocean.
Read More: MC Abdul On Being A Fearless And Limitless 14-Year-Old Boy Living In Gaza
“Gaza is Calling is about my first experience with heartbreak in friendship,” wrote Mustafa alongside the film. “I was 11 when I met this boy from Gaza. We were inseparable. With him, I shared one of the deepest loves I’ve ever known; he grew up alongside me in a housing project in Toronto. And not even this love was a match for the violence we were up against; the one in our new home, the one that followed him from Gaza like a cold wind.”
“In the end it was all the bloodshed between us that didn’t allow us to see each other without tears appearing, and one of the last notes he sent to me was about how we would continue on in another life,” he continued.
“The string sample is the Arabian nostalgia that we share, the autotuned Arabic I sing is the balance we tried to reach being boys of cultural empires in a small hood, and the Oud is the instrument of our homelands, Sudan and Palestine.”
Originally written in 2020, the release of ‘Gaza is Calling’ feels more pertinent than ever, given the ongoing crisis experienced by Gazans—both in the strip and around the world. Hadid, who is half-Palestinian, has been a vocal advocate for peace in Gaza and has been prolific in sharing information and resources about how her followers can help.
When it seemed like the world couldn’t be more divided, the situation unfolding in Gaza has left many reeling for humanity and demanding change. In his commentary, Mustafa directs viewers to support the brave work of humanitarian organisations providing aid to the war-affected area and spotlights the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund as an NFP worth donating towards.
Other organisations that have been providing support to people experiencing violence in Gaza include UNICEF, Amnesty International, Save The Children and Médecins Sans Frontières.
Watch the full video below, and donate to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund here.
