Venice, Sep 3 (AP) In January 2024, during the volatile times in Gaza City, a poignant plea was heard from a 6-year-old girl trapped in a bullet-riddled car, desperately asking for rescue. The turmoil worsened when contact was lost with the first ambulance dispatched, ultimately ending in tragedy as Hind Rajab, five family members, and two medics were found dead 12 days later.
The resonance of Hind's story, amplified by the haunting audio of her cries for help, has reverberated worldwide, inspiring songs, protest movements, and now a gripping film by Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania.
“The Voice of Hind Rajab,” premiering on Wednesday at the Venice Film Festival, serves as a powerful document of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Set entirely within the dispatch center of the Palestine Red Crescent Society rescue service, the film features Hind's real call audio, while actors reenact the responders' efforts.
“When you hear her voice, you feel powerless,” Ben Hania shared with The Associated Press recently. Hind's cousin, Layan, who was also present in the car, had communicated to family members that Israeli forces were targeting them prior to her demise. The Red Crescent reported that its ambulance came under fire from Israeli troops. The military, when asked for comments, mentioned that the incident is “still being reviewed,” without providing further details.
The audio of Hind's call, widely shared on social media as the world awaited news of the Red Crescent's medics and Hind, moved Ben Hania deeply. “I felt like she was asking me to rescue her,” Ben Hania recounted, acknowledging the irrationality as the tragedy had already occurred. Driven by a need to respond to the innocent voice, she asked herself, “‘What can I do?' and realized that telling stories was within her realm of expertise.
Her determination was further fueled after accessing the comprehensive recordings from that fateful day. The urgency to create the film led her to pause another project and work faster than ever before.
“There was a sense of emergency within me that I shared with everyone,” Ben Hania reflected. Her initial step involved speaking with Hind's mother, Wissam Hamadah, who granted her blessing while sharing intimate details about her daughter’s love for the sea and her aspiration to become a dentist.
Subsequently, she assembled a cast inclusive of Palestinian actors, such as Saja Kilani, Motaz Malhees, Clara Khoury, and Amer Hlehel. The transcripts provided a foundation, and she sought a cinematic approach to convey the real events, evoking the tension of a Hollywood thriller — though with a tragic ending.
“What's happening in this story and in Gaza at large surpasses fiction,” Ben Hania stated. “I didn't need to invent anything, which is quite astonishing. The story and recordings commence with her cousin’s death, posing a new rescue mission involving another child.”
The decision was made to focus the camera within the Red Crescent facility instead of depicting the car scene. “The images of horror permeate the internet, and while impactful, they risk desensitizing the world,” Ben Hania explained. “Telling the story from this perspective felt like bestowing something sacred — the voice of a little girl.”
The filmmaking process was emotionally taxing for all involved, with crew members often in tears, responding to Hind's authentic voice and nearly verbatim portrayals.
“The Voice of Hind Rajab” is anticipated to be a profoundly affecting film during the festival and awards season. Following its completion and selection for Venice, notable figures such as Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Alfonso Cuaron, and Jonathan Glazer supported the film as executive producers.
Furthermore, Tunisia has selected “The Voice of Hind Rajab” as its candidate for the best international feature at the Oscars. Ben Hania, already twice nominated for Oscars for best documentary and best international feature for “Four Daughters” and “The Man Who Sold His Skin” respectively, is no stranger to the Academy Awards circuit.
The ongoing Gaza conflict has cast a shadow over the festival, marked by debates over actor inclusions based on their views, scrutiny of film funding links to the Israeli military, and a significant protest involving thousands.
The Health Ministry reports that over 63,000 Palestinians have perished in the 22-month conflict, which ignited when Hamas-led militants abducted 251 hostages and killed approximately 1,200, mostly civilians, in the October 7, 2023 attack. While most hostages have been liberated through ceasefires or agreements, 48 remain in Gaza, with around 20 presumed alive.
Ben Hania clarified that the Hind Rajab Foundation, a legal entity based in Belgium, was not involved in the film’s production. “The Voice of Hind Rajab” has yet to secure theatrical distribution in North America, but Ben Hania aspires for widespread global viewership. “I don’t intend to prescribe what audiences should take from the film. I simply want it to be seen,” she concluded.(AP)
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