Palestinian Child’s Distress Call: Oscar-Nominated Film Story
- When Kaouther Ben Hania first heard the voice of Hind Rajab, it was life-changing.
- Left utterly terrified, with her relatives all dead around her, tragically, Hind did not survive the onslaught.
- the 70-minute audio of her distress call went viral, as hind became a symbol for the thousands of children killed in the appalling conflict that escalated in Gaza...
The Voice of Hind Rajab is in cinemas now. Add it to your watchlist
When Kaouther Ben Hania first heard the voice of Hind Rajab, it was life-changing. In January 2024, trapped in a car in Gaza City and under fire from Israeli forces, the 5-year-old Palestinian girl put in a call to paramedics from the Palestinian red Crescent Society.
Left utterly terrified, with her relatives all dead around her, tragically, Hind did not survive the onslaught. Later investigations discovered 355 bullet holes in the black kia she was in.
the 70-minute audio of her distress call went viral, as hind became a symbol for the thousands of children killed in the appalling conflict that escalated in Gaza after the terror attacks of October 7, 2023.
“The first time I heard her voice, it impacted me a lot,” says Ben Hania. ”There was a feeling of helplessness around what is happening in Gaza.And since she was asking for help, this feeling of helplessness was amplified. and I thought this is something that cinema can translate.”
A Palestinian story “should be told by Palestinian actors”
The Tunisian director behind the Oscar-nominated titles The Man Who Sold His Skin and Four Daughters was prepping another film at the time, but she knew she had to switch focus. “There was the urgency to tell this story,” she says.
Setting her other project aside, Ben Hania conceived of a radical idea: to build a film around the audio. All set in the Red Crescent call center,the film casts actors as the volunteers there,reacting to Hind’s real cries for help as they scramble to save her.
Naturally, Ben Hania spoke to Hind’s mother early in the process.”I told myself, ‘you can’t do this movie if you don’t have the approval of Hind’s mother.’ Its her child. Losing a child is one of the hardest things, I think, for a parent. So if she didn’t want me to do it, I wouldn’t do it.”
As distressing as it was, Hind’s mother approved the idea. “She told me that she doesn’t want her daughter to be forgotten… [and] she told me, ’I want justice for my daughter. If this m
Emboldened by the idea of integrating the real audio,Ben Hania dismissed the notion of casting an actress to play Hind. “For me, it was not honouring her memory, faking the voice. And which young child actress will go through [that]? It was a ‘bad taste’ thing to do,” she says.
She also cast Palestinian actors as the volunteers. “For me,it’s a Palestinian story and it should be told by Palestinian actors. What is happening in Gaza makes all of us, in a way, Palestinian.”
A brutal but compelling film to watch, it highlights what Ben Hania calls the “Kafkaesque machine of the Occupation”, as volunteer Omar (played by Motaz Malhees) desperately tries to send out a rescue team, only to be hamstrung by protocols. “It’s designed on purpose. Who put the rules?” says Ben Hania.
“This is the meaning of occupation. You put rules, because you are the dominant and those rules are designed to make their life impossible. It made the life of Hind impossible. And even if you follow the rules… you get bombed.”
Ethical quandaries and divisive reactions
When the film premiered at the Venice Film Festival last September, the emotional response was overwhelming.Critics were in tears and the film received a 23-minute standing ovation, the longest in the festival’s history.
“I could feel the emotion,” Ben Hania recalls. “I was hearing the sobbing. So then when they started clapping, it went forever, and it was like, ‘Will they stop?'” It was only that another movie was scheduled to play next that meant the audiences ceased the applause.
Despite this, the film has been met with a divisive reaction. “I know that my producers, and also their executive producer, received thousands and thousands and thousands of [spam] emails telling them that it’s not good to do this movie, it’s antisemitic, it’s not a story that they should tell,” explains Ben hania.
Instead, the producers were told they should concentrate on the Israeli side of the story, that over 250 Israelis were kidnapped, and many more killed, in the brutal incursion by Hamas terrorists on October 7.
Some have also accused Ben Hania of manipulating the material. Trade paper Variety, in its review, said: “Some viewers will be fully immersed in the horror and despair of the moment, while others may have greater misgivings regarding Ben Hania’s layering of tearjerker tactics over material that hardly requires extra emotional amplification.”
Others have criticised the use of Hind’s audio, questioning the ethics of using such provocative footage for a movie.
Hind Rajab, a prominent voice for Palestinian civilians in Gaza, has become a key source of facts for international media as communication networks crumble amidst ongoing conflict. Rajab,a resident of Gaza city,has been sharing firsthand accounts of the conditions on the ground via satellite phone,providing crucial updates as traditional reporting methods become increasingly challenging.
- Direct Communication: Rajab’s reports offer a rare,unfiltered outlook on the daily struggles faced by civilians,including shortages of food,water,and medical supplies.
- Media Reliance: News organizations like the BBC, CNN, and the Guardian are actively citing Rajab’s information, recognizing her as a vital link to the reality within Gaza.
- Challenges & Risks: Maintaining communication is incredibly challenging due to frequent power outages and disruptions to cellular and internet services. Rajab faces notable personal risk in continuing to report.
The increasing reliance on individuals like Rajab highlights the difficulties journalists face in covering the conflict. Traditional reporting is hampered by restricted access and safety concerns. rajab’s ability to provide real-time updates, despite thes obstacles, is proving invaluable to the international community’s understanding of the crisis.
“It’s getting worse every day,” Rajab told the BBC on January 21, 2026. “People are desperate. We need help, and we need it now.”
Her reports consistently detail the impact of the conflict on civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and schools. She’s also documented the displacement of families and the growing humanitarian crisis. rajab’s work underscores the urgent need for increased aid and a resolution to the conflict.