voice

Rarely does a Venice film get a standing ovation at its press conference, but in advance of its world premiere at the 82nd Venice Film Festival, “The Voice of Hind Rajab” has already received a glowing reception from filmgoers and critics on the Lido.

The latest film from Oscar-nominated Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania is a dramatization of what happened when Red Crescent volunteers attempted to speed their way through a mountain of bureaucratic obstacles in January 2024 to save six-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab, who was trapped inside a car in northern Gaza with several dead relatives who had been wiped out by the Israeli Defense Force.

Prior to the question and answer portion of the press conference, star Saja Kilani read a statement on behalf of “The Voice of Hind Rajab” cast and crew that noted: “‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ does not need our defense. This film is not an opinion or a fantasy. It is anchored in truth. Hind’s story carries the weight of an entire people. Her voice is one amongst tens of thousands of children that were killed in Gaza in the last two years alone.”

She added, “Behind every number is a story that never got to be told. Hind’s story is about a child crying out, ‘Save me.’ And the real question is, how have we let a child beg for life? No one can live in peace while even one child is forced to plead for survival.” (You can read the full statement below.)

Ben Hania, who has covered several Middle Eastern and North African conflicts in both her narrative work (“The Man Who Sold His Skin”) and her non-fiction work (“Four Daughters”) said, “When I heard the first time the voice of Hind Rajab, there was something more than her voice. It was the very voice of Gaza asking for help, and nobody could answer.” That, and a “strong desire, and the feeling of anger and helplessness gave birth to this movie.”

Producer Nadim Cheikhrouha shared that he and Ben Hania were actually getting ready to make a different film before they heard the story of Rajab. Both thought, “We can’t stay just watching what’s happening and do some other stuff. We need to do this movie, and we need to do it quickly,” said the producer. “We had this feeling of emergency.” 

The pair were able to go into production with only a few partners, though the list of producers for “The Voice of Hind Rajab” now includes Brad Pitt and his company Plan B Entertainment, as well as Oscar-winning directors Jonathan Glazer and Alfonso Cuarón, and couple Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara. “The fact that all those names joined the movie means something,” said Ben Hania. “I never in my life thought that could be possible. So I’m very grateful for their support.”

Listening to the stars of “The Voice of Hind Rajab” talk about the film, the prevailing sentiment was clear. “It’s not a film for us. It was really a duty to go and do this,” said Amer Hlehel. “We needed that film to express ourselves as actors and artists.” Kilani added, “Usually with a film, you create a character, you build this narrative in your head, but this film, there was no acting.”

A key choice Ben Hania made in order to capture authentic responses from her actors was to not let them listen to the real-life voice recordings of Rajab that are used in the film until they were on set shooting each scene. “It’s one thing to read the script and to know exactly what she said, and we rehearsed that, but it’s a whole different aspect when you hear her voice,” said Kilani.

“There were a lot of tears, and also the team was in tears. Everybody. We were in a very small and closed set, and everyone was engaged,” said actress Clara Khoury. “The whole film set, because of the cause, because of what’s happening in Gaza and the genocide, the ongoing genocide that is not stopping yet.”

Actor Motaz Malhees, who plays the Red Crescent volunteer who is the first to speak to Rajab, shared that he felt a deeply personal connection to her story, having lived in the West Bank as a child. “It wasn’t easy. I felt like I died a thousand times hearing Hind’s voice. From the first moment, it just sent me back to my childhood. So it wasn’t a new thing for me. It’s a life I lived,” he said. “There were two times where I couldn’t keep filming. I had a panic attack, and I had the support from everyone also. It was hard, but it’s a responsibility for me.”

Anticipating certain criticisms of the film, which dramatizes a true story, Ben Hania said, “When you amplify the voice of Palestinians, you are always personally accused of being exploitative, and it’s another way to silence you.” But her hope is that “things should change. We’ve seen that the narrative all around the world that those dying in Gaza are collateral damage in media. And I think this is so dehumanizing, and that’s why cinema art and every kind of expression is very important to give those people a voice and a face.”

“The Voice of Hind Rajab” has already been chosen as Tunisia’s submission for Best International Feature, and has been pegged as the new frontrunner for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. Should it find an even bigger platform, its actors might be recognized in the awards fray as well, with Malhees, Kilani, Hlehel, and Khoury being campaigned for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress, respectively, and Ben Hania to be recognized in various categories, as she also wrote the film.

Read the full statement from “The Voice of Hind Rajab” cast and crew below:

“On behalf of all of us actors, and in the name of the entire team, we ask, isn’t it enough? Enough of the mass killing, the starvation, the dehumanization, the destruction, the ongoing occupation. ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ does not need our defense. This film is not an opinion or a fantasy. It is anchored in truth. Hind’s story carries the weight of an entire people. Her voice is one amongst 10s of 1000s of children that were killed in Gaza in the last two years alone. It is the voice of every daughter and every son with the right to live, to dream, to exist in dignity, yet all of it was stolen in front of unblinking eyes, and these are only the voices we know. Behind every number is a story that never got to be told. Hind’s story is about a child crying out, ‘Save me.’ And the real question is, how have we let a child beg for life? No one can live in peace while even one child is forced to plead for survival. Let Hind Rajab’s voice echo around the world. Let it remind you of the silence that has been built around Gaza. Let it name the genocide that silence protects and let it pierce the word enough, not tomorrow, not someday, now. For justice, for the sake of humanity, for the future of every child. Enough.”

“The Voice of Hind Rajab” premiered at the 2025 Venice Film Festival. It is currently seeking U.S. distribution.