The Doha Film Festival kicked off with a moving and intense premiere of The Voice of Hind Rajab, directed by Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania. The film tells the tragic story of a five-year-old Palestinian girl, Hind Rajab, who lost her life in 2024 while fleeing Gaza amid escalating violence.
Hind’s final phone call to Red Crescent volunteers, made as she and her family attempted to escape, forms the heart of the movie. The child’s voice, captured in its entirety, delivers a haunting emotional resonance that anchors the film’s narrative. Scenes inside the Red Crescent office are recreated, showing volunteers responding to her desperate pleas, while gunfire from Israeli tanks echoes in the background.
The story has drawn international attention and outrage. Hind’s mother, speaking at the festival, described her ongoing grief: “Since Hind’s passing, I hear her voice every day. It is the voice of the children of Gaza. Save them before their last light goes out.” She revealed she cannot bring herself to watch the film, mourning the loss of her daughter and countless other young victims.
Ben Hania shared that she had been preparing a different project when she learned of Hind’s story. Deeply affected by the tragedy, she obtained the full audio recording from the Red Crescent, choosing to craft a feature film instead of a documentary to maximize emotional impact. The film, which had recently won the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival, combines authentic recordings with dramatic storytelling to honor Hind’s memory and amplify the voices of Gaza’s children.
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