When Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania announced “The Voice of Hind Rajab” over the summer, I found myself returning to her 2023 film “Four Daughters.” The film is a documentary-drama hybrid that tells the story of a Tunisian woman and her daughters, the oldest two of whom were indoctrinated by the Islamic State. As actors step in beside real family members to reconstruct the moments that fractured their lives, it becomes clear just how deeply Ben Hania can cut into the truth of a story. “Four Daughters” was bold, aching and unwavering in its humanity. After seeing how she gave voice to a family whose members were radicalized, I had little doubt she would bring the same clarity and courage to “The Voice of Hind Rajab” — and she did not disappoint.
On its surface, Ben Hania’s latest film recounts the story of Hind Rajab, a 5-year-old Palestinian girl in Gaza City who was repeatedly shot at and ultimately killed by Israeli forces while hiding in a car, months into the ongoing genocide. Hind’s experience first came to global attention through a recording of her call to the Palestine Red Crescent Society, during which volunteers stayed on the line as her family members were killed beside her and she begged for help. Although this premise could easily have slipped into exploitative melodrama, Ben Hania’s artistry and emotional acuity instead shape a haunting recreation of a singularly devastating moment within more than two years of horror, one instance among countless others — including tens of thousands of children.
Perhaps the most striking element of the film — which unfolds largely through actors portraying the Red Crescent volunteers — is its use of the original recording of Hind’s voice. Ben Hania masterfully intertwines fiction and reality, with the actors Saja Kilani and Motaz Malhees responding to Hind as though the call were happening in real time. The result is not only a technical feat but a devastating and profoundly human choice that lays bare the brutality of the genocide in Gaza through the voice of a helpless girl.
Kilani and Malhees deliver profoundly moving performances as volunteers Rana Faqih and Omar Alqam. The weight of Hind’s ordeal presses hard on both characters, evident in their trembling voices, expressive eyes and raw vulnerability. You feel it when Rana gently recites the Quran in an attempt to soothe her. You feel it when Omar asks what grade she’s in, searching for any way to connect. And you feel it most when Hind, unable to accept their comfort, spends hours pleading for rescue while they wait desperately for approval to send help. Clara Khoury and Amer Hlehel are equally compelling as Nisreen Qawas and Mahdi Aljamal, the Red Crescent leaders struggling to stay composed amid the emotional devastation.
The actors’ performances are clear standouts, but the camerawork is especially striking. Perhaps even more than in “Four Daughters,” Ben Hania achieves a level of intimacy that rarely feels this effective. The entire film unfolds inside the Red Crescent call center over the span of a single day, and the tight, claustrophobic cinematography heightens the central characters’ anxiety and frustration. What resonates most is Ben Hania’s use of original video recordings of Red Crescent volunteers speaking with Hind. She weaves these clips into certain scenes in a way that subtly reminds you that, although you’re watching performance, the reality behind it is undeniable. The subtle sound design haunts each frame and never overwhelms the viewer, allowing the performances and Hind’s voice to speak for themselves.
“The Voice of Hind Rajab,” along with other notable Palestinian films released this year — such as “Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk” and “With Hasan in Gaza” — keeps the question of Palestine present in both mainstream and independent spheres while showing that such works can simultaneously embody expert artistry, resonance and profound humanity. It is rare to encounter media, especially films, that center and uplift distinctly Palestinian narratives with unique artistic voices. These films are as emotionally affecting as they are culturally and politically significant.
With this brilliant piece, Ben Hania further cements herself as one of the most prolific filmmakers working today. She not only honors Hind’s life but also reclaims the meaning of bearing witness. By crafting a work that truly listens to a child whose pleas went unanswered, she transforms Hind’s final moments into an enduring testament to courage, memory and the urgent necessity of telling her story.
“The Voice of Hind Rajab” opens at Film Forum on Wednesday, Dec. 17.
Contact Yezen Saadah at [email protected].