The Voice of Hind Rajab
Written and directed by Kaouther Ben Hania
In cinemas
Kaouther Ben Hania’s film, The Voice of Hind Rajab, confronts us with the unbearable final hours of five-year-old Hind Rajab, one of the countless child victims of Israel’s war on Gaza.
Israeli tank fire and 335 machine-gun rounds from close range (13–23 metres away, according to Forensic Architecture) riddled Hind’s family car, on January 29, 2024, killing her cousin Layan Hamada mid-call to the Palestine Red Crescent Society.
Hind, trapped amid her dead relatives, then spent three desperate hours on the line, her frightened voice recorded as the film’s haunting core.
This Tunisia-France docudrama, from the Oscar-nominated director of Four Daughters, shifts focus to the West Bank responders’ frantic coordination, blending that real audio with dramatised tension to expose the occupation’s bureaucratic stranglehold.
The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival, securing the Silver Lion and a 2026 Best International Feature Oscar nomination, yet faced steep distribution hurdles. United States’ studios hesitated amid political fears, delaying a wide release despite acclaim for its urgent docufiction style. The film even had backing from high-profile figures such as Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), Joaquin Phoenix (Joker), and Rooney Mara (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo).
Ben Hania, with the family’s consent, aimed to “bear witness” rather than exploit, weaving together responders’ dread, stalled ambulances and the chilling reality of tank shells awaiting rescuers.
Hind’s story hits hard for those tracking Gaza's genocide. More than 20,000 children (and 70,000+ in total) have been killed since October, 2023.
While many know the ending, the real-time structure grips nonetheless: dispatchers plead for safe passage, hope eroding as coordinates stall. No graphic violence mars the screen, but Hind’s “I’m scared” and the crack of those initial bullets pierce deeper, illuminating systemic cruelty without melodrama.
At 90 minutes, it’s taut, poignant cinema — advocacy wrapped in artistry. Hind’s name echoes in activist circles, emblematic of thousands lost. The film fuels the ongoing fight for justice for Hind and countless others, amplifying the efforts of organisations such as the Hind Rajab Foundation in their pursuit of accountability — and ensuring her small voice refuses to be silenced.