The Voice of Hind Rajab

The film 'The Voice of Hind' was presented at Cannes, receiving a standing ovation of over 20 minutes for addressing the Palestinian conflict. Selected by Tunisia as its representative in the race for the Oscar, it tells the story of a six-year-old girl from Gaza who was killed along with several family members during an attack carried out by Israeli armed forces in January 2024. The film also includes testimonies, statements, and experiences from her mother and the real people who were on the other end of that harrowing phone call, trying to rescue her.

January 29, 2024. The volunteers of the Red Crescent receive an emergency call. A 6-year-old girl is trapped in a car under fire in Gaza, pleading to be rescued. While they try to keep her on the line, they do everything possible to send her an ambulance. Her name is Hind Rajab.

To shape this story, director Kaouther Ben Hania has used the authentic recording of Hind's voice, building the narrative around a single location. The violence remains off-screen, which reinforces the weight of what is not shown.

This is a bold and moving cinematic proposal, in which Ben Hania focuses on the invisible: the anguish of waiting, the persistent fear, the deafening silence when help does not arrive… As the filmmaker states: "Sometimes, what is not seen is even more devastating than what is shown."