The Light That Remains
Left behind in a city under siege, a software engineer transforms his loneliness into a lifeline for others, creating virtual worlds of healing that defy the destruction around him.
The Light that Remains is not a film about trauma in the traditional sense. It’s about the infrastructure of care, the invisible labor behind healing and the humanity that persists under unimaginable conditions.
The Light that Remains is a Counterpoints Production short documentary, directed by Maria Marrone, that was premiered at RichMix on 28 November 2025.
Synopsis
When Mosab, a skilled software engineer, is separated from his wife and children as they evacuate Gaza for emergency medical care, he’s left behind with only uncertainty and a laptop. Alone in a city under siege, he begins building something extraordinary: a virtual reality program designed to help survivors of genocide cope with mental trauma.
As genocide rages around him, Mosab immerses himself in creating digital worlds of calm and reflection. The film follows his journey as he balances the emotional weight of his own loneliness with a relentless drive to serve others. Through acts of kindness and innovation, he finds a way to preserve his own mental health turning grief into action, and despair into purpose.
This film is an intimate portrait of resilience, exploring how one man’s compassion and creativity become tools for survival. It’s a story about holding on to family through distance, building connection through technology, and refusing to let go of hope even when the world gives every reason to.
Impact
As The Light That Remains reaches audiences through festivals and special screenings, our impact campaign seeks to mobilise support for mental health innovation in Gaza, led by Gazans themselves and to reframe how Palestinian lives are seen and valued.
At a time when trauma and displacement continue to deepen, the film highlights the groundbreaking work of the Sameer Project and its TechMed Gaza VR therapy, an initiative that fuses technology and care to address the psychological wounds of genocide.
Psychotherapy is social activism as we understand it and practice it. In Palestine you find traumatised, displaced therapists who still offer therapy to their community under unsafe conditions and with extreme shortages. Mental health is political. Charity alone is not solidarity, and charity alone is not activism.” (Mustafa Jayyousi, TechMed Consultant)
Read more about how you can support the film’s impact campaign
