The Voice of Hind Rajab

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The Voice of Hind Rajab
The Voice of Hind Rajab film poster.jpg
International promotional poster
Arabic صوت هند رجب
Directed by Kaouther Ben Hania
Written byKaouther Ben Hania
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyJuan Sarmiento G. [1]
Edited by
  • Qutaiba Barhamji
  • Maxime Mathis
  • Kaouther Ben Hania
Music byAmine Bouhafa
Production
companies
Distributed byThe Party Film Sales (France)
Release dates
  • 3 September 2025 (2025-09-03)(Venice)
  • 10 September 2025 (2025-09-10)(Tunisia)
  • 26 November 2025 (2025-11-26)(France)
Running time
89 minutes [3]
Countries
  • Tunisia
  • France
LanguageArabic
Box office$2.4 million [4]

The Voice of Hind Rajab (Arabic : صوت هند رجب, romanized: Ṣawt Hind Rajab) is a 2025 docudrama film [5] written and directed by Kaouther Ben Hania. It follows the Red Crescent response to the killing of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed by the Israel Defense Forces during the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip. [6] It stars Saja Kilani, Motaz Malhees, Amer Hlehel, and Clara Khoury. The film is a co-production between Tunisia and France.

Contents

The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on 3 September 2025, where it won the Grand Jury Prize and other six parallel prizes. It was theatrically released in Tunisia on 10 September, and was released in France on 26 November by The Party Film Sales. It was also selected as the Tunisian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards.

Synopsis

The film's official synopsis is as follows: [6]

January 29, 2024. Red Crescent volunteers receive an emergency call. A 6-year old girl is trapped in a car under fire in Gaza, pleading for rescue. While trying to keep her on the line, they do everything they can to get an ambulance to her. Her name was Hind Rajab.

Cast

Production

Development

In May 2025, it was announced Kaouther Ben Hania had directed an untitled film about the killing of Hind Rajab, with principal photography concluding in Tunisia. Nadim Cheikhrouha, Odessa Rae and James Wilson serve as producers. [7] [8] Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Jonathan Glazer, Alfonso Cuarón, Jemima Khan, Frank Giustra, Guillaume Rambourg, Elizabeth Woodward, Sarah Rambourg, and Sabine Getty are among the executive producers. [9] [2] [10] The film is a co-production between Tunisia and France. [11] [12]

I was in the middle of the Oscar campaign for Four Daughters , and mentally preparing to finally enter pre-production on a film I had been writing for ten years. Then, during a layover at LAX, everything shifted. I heard an audio recording of Hind Rajab begging for help. By then, her voice had already spread across the internet. I contacted the Red Crescent and asked them to let me hear the full audio. It was about 70 minutes long, and harrowing. After listening to it, I knew, without a doubt, that I had to drop everything else. I had to make this film. I spoke at length with Hind's mother, with the real people who were on the other end of that call, those who tried to help her.

Filming

Filming took place in Tunisia over three weeks in November 2024. [13] [14]

The Voice of Hind Rajab was one of three films about Hind Rajab that were shot around the same time in 2024 and released in 2025. [15] [16] The Dutch short film Close Your Eyes Hind (2025) was shot in December 2024 and released in June 2025, [17] [18] and the Jordanian short film Hind Under Siege (2025) was shot in December 2024 [19] [20] and released in October 2025. [21]

Release

The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on 3 September 2025, where it was nominated for the Golden Lion. [11] It also screened at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival in the Special Presentations section on 7 September 2025. [22] [23] Prior to the film's premiere, Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Alfonso Cuarón, Jonathan Glazer, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner onboarded as executive producers. [24] [2] It also received a screening in the Perlak section of the 73rd San Sebastián International Film Festival, earning a 9.52/10 score from the moviegoers voting for the City of Donostia / San Sebastián Audience Award, the highest score ever achieved at the festival. [25] [26]

The film is one of three films on Palestinian history to be submitted to the 98th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film – the others being All That's Left of You and Palestine 36 . [27] [28] [29] The lack of distribution by American studios for the Palestinian films submitted for the 98th Academy Awards, generated controversy online and among executive producers, who reportedly were "passing [the film] out of fear". [30] Several months earlier, the Palestine documentary No Other Land (2024) went on to win the Academy Award for Best Documentary without the involvement of any American distributors; the producers ended up self-distributing the film in a small number of screens. In October 2025, Willa acquired United States distribution rights to the film, and set it for a December 16, 2025, release. [31] It was released in Tunisian cinemas on September 10, 2025. [32]

The film opened the 1st edition of the Gaza International Festival for Women's Cinema in Deir al-Balah on 26 October 2025, held during the ongoing ceasefire in Gaza. [33]

Reception

Director Kaouther Ben Hania holding the Grand Jury Prize awarded to The Voice of Hind Rajab at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival. Kaouther ben hania at 82nd Venice International Film Festival Silver Lion-1 (cropped) 2.jpg
Director Kaouther Ben Hania holding the Grand Jury Prize awarded to The Voice of Hind Rajab at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.

Critical response

The film received a 23 minutes and 50 seconds standing ovation at its Venice premiere, beating the previous record for longest recorded applause at a film festival of Pan's Labyrinth which had received a 22 minutes standing ovation at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. [34]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 93% of 59 critics' reviews are positive.The website's consensus reads: "Incorporating real-life elements that are as difficult to witness as they are impossible to forget, The Voice of Hind Rajab is a harrowing docudrama that makes a powerful appeal to humanity." [35] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 81 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". [36]

Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com said of the film, "I'm always a little conflicted when a tragedy involving a child is used in filmmaking, but I also believe that true action sometimes requires being confronted with visions of true horror instead of just reading or hearing about them. The Voice of Hind Rajab is the confrontation its victim deserves." [37] Slate's Sam Adams wrote, "Ben Hania periodically reminds the audience just how faithful the re-creation they're watching is. She fills the screen with the audio waveform of Rajab's voice, the digital file name stamped in the corner, and occasionally allows the voices of the real dispatchers the actors are playing to overlap with their dialogue. The movie keeps reminding us how close we are to what actually happened, climaxing with a shot that blends real video and the actors' reenactment. But the heart of the conflict, like Rajab herself, is impossible to reach." [38] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film 4/5 stars, writing, "there is a reckless, ruthless kind of provocative brilliance in what Ben Hania is doing. Is it in bad taste? Problematic? Well, in a world where directors busy themselves and us with made-up stories about made-up people, Ben Hania is at least grabbing one of the most relevant issues of our time with both hands and finding a way to thrust it under our noses." [39]

Accolades

The film was selected as the Tunisian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards. [40]

AwardDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipient(s)ResultRef.
Venice International Film Festival 6 September 2025 Golden Lion Kaouther Ben Hania Nominated [41] [42]
Grand Jury Prize Won
ARCA CinemaGiovani Award – Best Film of Venezia 81Won [43] [32]
CICT - UNESCO Enrico Fulchignoni AwardWon
Croce Rossa Italiana AwardWon
Edipo Re AwardWon
Leoncino d'Oro AwardWon
Sorriso Diverso Venezia Award for Best Foreign FilmWon
UNIMED AwardWon
San Sebastián International Film Festival 27 September 2025 City of Donostia / San Sebastián Audience Award for Best FilmThe Voice of Hind RajabWon [44]
Film Fest Gent 18 October 2025Grand Prix for Best FilmWon [45]
BFI London Film Festival 19 October 2025 Best FilmNominated [46]
Chicago International Film Festival 24 October 2025 Gold HugoNominated [47]
Jury AwardWon [48]
Asia Pacific Screen Awards 27 November 2025 Best Screenplay Kaouther Ben HaniaNominated [49]
Hamptons International Film Festival 7 November 2025Brizzola Family Foundation Award for Films of Conflict & ResolutionThe Voice of Hind RajabWon [50]
Golden Globe Awards 11 January 2026 Best Non-English Language Film Pending [51]
European Film Awards 17 January 2026 European Sound Designer Amal Attia, Elias Boughedir, Lars Ginzel, Gwennolé Le Borgne, Marion PapinotPending [52]
Lumière Awards 18 January 2026 Best International Co-Production The Voice of Hind Rajab Pending [53]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "About:Juan Sarmiento G." Juan Sarmiento G. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Wiseman, Andreas (26 August 2025). "Hollywood Luminaries Get Behind Gaza Movie 'The Voice Of Hind Rajab' Ahead Of Venice World Premiere". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  3. ↑ "The Voice of Hind Rajab (15)". British Board of Film Classification . 11 November 2025. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  4. ↑ "The Voice of Hind Rajab". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 16 December 2025.
  5. ↑ "Hind Rajab film premieres at Venice amid tears, 'free Palestine' chants". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 Kheir, Nada Aboul (22 July 2025). "Kaouther Ben Hania On The Moving Story Behind Her Venice Competition Film 'The Voice Of Hind Rajab'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  7. ↑ Ritman, Alex; Vivarelli, Nick (14 May 2025). "Killing of Palestinian Girl Hind Rajab Being Made Into Film by Kaouther Ben Hania, Nadim Cheikhrouha, 'Zone of Interest' Producer James Wilson, 'Navalny' Producer Odessa Rae and Film4 (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved 23 June 2025.
  8. ↑ "Tunisian director to tell haunting story of Hind Rajab in new movie". Roya TV . 14 May 2025. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
  9. ↑ Lodge, Guy (3 September 2025). "'The Voice of Hind Rajab' Review: A Young Girl's Death in Gaza Is Heard From an Agonizing Distance in a Crushing Docudrama". Variety. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  10. ↑ "Kaouther Ben Hania and Oscar-winning producers on board to direct film on killing of Palestinian girl". Arab News . 14 May 2025. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
  11. 1 2 "Biennale Cinema 2025 | The voice of Hind Rajab". La Biennale di Venezia. 14 July 2025. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
  12. ↑ "THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB hits cinemas in Egypt and Palestine on December 17". EEgypt Today . 22 December 2025.
  13. ↑ Jung, E. Alex (11 December 2025). "'Will You Come and Get Me?' The Voice of Hind Rajab reenacts the 5-year-old's call to emergency dispatchers in Gaza just before she was killed". Vulture. Archived from the original on 11 December 2025. They began filming in November.
  14. ↑ Lau, Evelyn. "Kaouther Ben Hania's The Voice of Hind Rajab nominated for Golden Globe award". The National . The film was shot over three weeks in Tunisia last November
  15. ↑ Zaza, Amir (7 September 2025). "Three Films about Hind Rajab One Story, different perspectives, and one purpose". Instagram . Archived from the original on 16 November 2025. Retrieved 16 November 2025.
  16. ↑ "La voz de Hind (2025)". eCartelera (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 December 2025. Esta es una de las tres películas sobre Hind Rajab estrenadas en 2025. Las otras son Close Your Eyes Hind (2025) y Hind Under Siege (2025).[This is one of three films about Hind Rajab released in 2025. The others are Close Your Eyes Hind (2025) and Hind Under Siege (2025).]
  17. ↑ Zarzar, Besan (28 September 2025). "Amir Zaza maakte een film over het vermoorde Gazaanse meisje Hind: 'Ze staat symbool voor alle kinderen die om hulp riepen terwijl de wereld wegkeek'" [Amir Zaza made a film about the murdered Gazan girl Hind: ‘She symbolizes all the children who called for help while the world looked away’]. Trouw (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 28 September 2025. Retrieved 16 November 2025.
  18. ↑ "Opbrengst naar moeder van Hind die in Gaza verblijft Benefietvoorstelling 'Close Your Eyes Hind'". Arnhemse Koerier (in Dutch). 18 June 2025.
  19. ↑ Abed, Tawfiq (20 January 2025). ""هند تحت الحصار".. رحلة سينمائية إلى قلب الصمود الفلسطيني" [Hind Under Siege. A Cinematic Journey to the Heart of Palestinian Steadfastness]. Al Jazeera Media Network (in Arabic).
  20. ↑ Salameh, Naji (28 January 2025). "I'm excited to share some BTS moments from one of the most meaningful projects I've ever worked on. This film is incredibly close to my heart, and I was fortunate to collaborate with an amazing cast & crew who poured their hearts and souls into bringing Hind's story to life". Instagram .
  21. ↑ "هند تحت الحصار.. فيلم شاهد على صرخة طفلة توثق جريمة هزّت العالم" [Hind Under Siege: A film that bears witness to the cry of a child documenting a crime that shook the world]. Roya News (in Arabic). 8 October 2025. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  22. ↑ "The Voice of Hind Rajab". Toronto International Film Festival . Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  23. ↑ Erbland, Kate (12 August 2025). "This Year's Full TIFF Schedule and Lineup Is Now Here, Complete with Six New Films". IndieWire . Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  24. ↑ "Brad Pitt among Hollywood heavyweights backing Gaza-set 'Hind Rajab' film". Arab News. 27 August 2025. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  25. ↑ "'La voz de Hind' obtiene el Premio Agenda 2030 Euskadi Basque Country". Deia (in Spanish). 26 September 2025. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  26. ↑ Cabrera, Elena (26 September 2025). "Viñetas desde los márgenes, un cuento de Cortázar y otros planes para no mirar hacia otro lado". eldiario.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  27. ↑ Roxborough, Scott (5 September 2025). "Amid the Tragedy of War, Palestinian Filmmakers Are Finding a Way to Break Through". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  28. ↑ Tobah, Sumayya (29 August 2025). "Watermelon Pictures Wants To Be The Future Of Palestinian Representation In Hollywood". Rolling Stone MENA. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  29. ↑ Lenkinski, Libby (15 September 2025). "Three Films, Three Women, One Message: At the Oscars, Palestine Will Not Be Erased". Haaretz.com. Archived from the original on 15 September 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  30. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (10 October 2025). "Acclaimed Gaza Drama 'The Voice Of Hind Rajab' Remains Without A U.S. Distributor: Why?". Deadline. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  31. ↑ Davis, Clayton (28 October 2025). "'The Voice of Hind Rajab' Lands U.S. Distribution, Sets December Release". Variety. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  32. 1 2 Webdo (6 September 2025). "Venice 2025 – Six prizes in the parallel sections for "The Voice of Hind Rajab"". webdo. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  33. ↑ Mari, Sella (22 October 2025). "The Gaza International Festival for Women's Cinema to kick off on 26 October". Cineuropa . Retrieved 22 October 2025.
  34. ↑ Tartaglione, Nancy (3 September 2025). "Gaza Drama 'The Voice Of Hind Rajab' Gets Record 23-Minute-Plus Ovation At Venice World Premiere". Deadline . Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  35. ↑ "The Voice of Hind Rajab". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved 15 December 2025. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  36. ↑ "The Voice of Hind Rajab". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  37. ↑ Tallerico, Brian (11 September 2025). "TIFF 2025: The Voice of Hind Rajab, Unidentified, The Fence". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  38. ↑ Adams, Sam (11 September 2025). "It's Nearly Impossible to Get Footage of Gaza, but Two New Movies Still Demand to Be Seen". Slate. ISSN   1091-2339 . Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  39. ↑ Bradshaw, Peter (4 September 2025). "The Voice of Hind Rajab review – provocative docufiction is fierce, urgent and heart-shattering". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  40. ↑ "Oscars 2026 : Kaouther Ben Hania représentera la Tunisie avec « La Voix de Hind Rajab »". La Presse de Tunisie (in French). 28 August 2025. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
  41. ↑ Vivarelli, Nick; Shafer, Ellise (22 July 2025). "Venice Film Festival Lineup: Guillermo del Toro's 'Frankenstein,' Yorgos Lanthimos' 'Bugonia' With Emma Stone, Benny Safdie's 'Smashing Machine,' Luca Guadagnino's 'After the Hunt' and More". Variety . Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  42. ↑ Tartaglione, Nancy (6 September 2025). "Venice Film Festival – Jim Jarmusch's 'Father Mother Sister Brother' Is Golden Lion Winner; 'Voice Of Hind Rajab' Takes Grand Jury Prize; Benny Safdie Best Director For 'The Smashing Machine'". Deadline . Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  43. ↑ "Collateral awards and events of the 82nd Venice Film Festival". Venice Film Festival . Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  44. ↑ "El Festival de San Sebastián clausura su edición marcada por la masacre de Gaza: 'La voz de Hind', premio del Público". Cuatro (in Spanish). 27 September 2025. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  45. ↑ "'The Voice of Hind Rajab' wint Grand Prix op Film Fest Gent" ['The Voice of Hind Rajab' wins Grand Prix at Film Fest Ghent]. De Morgen (in Dutch). 19 October 2025. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
  46. ↑ Boyce, Laurence (4 September 2025). "The BFI London Film Festival lifts the lid on the titles for its 69th edition". Cineuropa . Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  47. ↑ Jeremy Kay (10 September 2025). "'Sound Of Falling', 'Sirât', 'La Grazia' among Chicago international competition picks". ScreenDaily . Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  48. ↑ "Festival Award Winners". Cinema Chicago. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
  49. ↑ "18th Asia Pacific Screen Awards Nominations Announced". FilmInk. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
  50. ↑ "HIFF33: Awards Announced!". Hamptons International Film Festival. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  51. ↑ Lang, Brent; Moreau, Jordan (8 December 2025). "Golden Globes 2026 Nominations: 'One Battle After Another' Tops Films with Nine Nods, 'White Lotus' Leads TV with Six". Variety . Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  52. ↑ Roxborough, Scott (26 November 2025). "'Bugonia,' 'Sirat,' 'Sound of Falling' Lead European Film Award Craft Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  53. ↑ Goodfellow, Melanie (12 December 2025). "Lumière Awards: François Ozon's 'The Stranger' Leads Nominations; Jodie Foster Up For Best Actress & Natalie Portman Animation Also In Running". Deadline. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
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