Kaouther Ben Hania’s hard-hitting film THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB recently won an Audience Award at the 73rd edition of the accredited San Sebastián International Film Festival, which took place from September 19th to the 27th.
 
THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB — Tunisia’s official submission for the 98th Academy Awards — is a docudrama that tells the shocking true story of a girl from Gaza who was murdered by Israeli forces. The film uses real voice recordings from the victim and Red Crescent correspondents who attempted to save her life.
 
On January 29th, 2024, Red Crescent volunteers received an emergency call from a six-year-old girl trapped in a car under fire in Gaza, pleading for rescue. While trying to keep her on the line, they did everything they could to dispatch an ambulance to her location. Her name was Hind Rajab.
 
Executive produced by Hollywood A-listers Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, and Alfonso Cuarón, the Tunisian-French co-production has already garnered significant acclaim in an exceedingly short span of time, winning a Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize, the UNICEF Award,
an Edipo Re Award, an Arca Cinema Giovani Award, as well as the CICT-UNESCO Enrico Fulchignoni Award at its Venice Film Festival world premiere. The film also received a thunderous standing ovation lasting over 20 minutes, the longest in the festival’s history.
 
The premiere catapulted the film into the international spotlight, drawing intense attention from global press and earning high ratings on critical sites. It currently holds an overall rating of 85 on Metacritic, with a 100% positive review score from over ten major media outlets.
 
Notable among the reviews was Nicholas Barber’s (BBC) near-perfect 100 score, writing, “No other film this year will get more people talking or more people crying.” Kevin Maher of The Times also awarded it a 100, urging politicians and decision-makers to see it. The Playlist’s Marshal Shaffer rated the film 91, stating, “Take out a thesaurus for any overused critical buzzword about political cinema — timely, urgent, necessary — and they all fail to capture the shattering impact of Kaouther Ben Hania’s THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB.”
 
Following its triumphant world premiere, the film has been selected for prestigious festivals, including the Toronto, Chicago, Cairo, and BFI London film festivals.
 
The rest of the film’s crew includes executive producers Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner through their company Plan B Entertainment, who received “In Association With” credits alongside Film4 and MBC Studios. Other prominent figures joining as executive producers are journalist and producer Jemima Khan, Canadian businessman and Lionsgate founder Frank Giustra, and jewelry designer and social figure Sabine Getty.
 
THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB is a collaboration between Mime Films (Tunisia) and Tanit Films (France). It is produced by Nadim Cheikhrouha, Odessa Rae, and James Wilson and is made in collaboration with the Palestinian Red Crescent.
 
Filmed in Tunisia and starring Amer Hlehel, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees, and Saja Kilani, the film’s worldwide sales are handled by Paris-based The Party Film Sales, which is co-representing the North American rights with CAA Media Finance. Theatrical and cultural rights in the Arab World are managed by MAD Distribution.
 
Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania is among the most acclaimed filmmakers of the Arab World. Known for her bold storytelling, her previous film, FOUR DAUGHTERS, won the L’Oeil d’Or at Cannes and was nominated for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar in 2024. Her 2020 feature, THE MAN WHO SOLD HIS SKIN, was nominated for Best International Feature and won Best Actor in the Horizons Section at Venice. Her earlier works, including BEAUTY AND THE DOGS, ZAINEB HATES THE SNOW, and CHALLAT OF TUNIS, have also earned international acclaim.