The messages above were sent to a close friend of Hamdan's only days before his death.

"I dug my grave yesterday," he joked. "So that I don't have to bother myself with displacement."

Qusay Nour, an activist in Eastern Ghouta, told BuzzFeed News that Hamdan had a great sense of humor and had recently been working on a black comedy series filmed in Eastern Ghouta. Nour said Hamdan is leaving behind his wife of two years, and their daughter, Naseem, who is just 8 months old.

“He is a courageous man. He offered scenes that reflected the reality of al-Ghouta in a simple way," Nour said. "He is my friend."