The Voice of Hind Rajab

• Date:
• Time: Time depends on the date
• Location: Filmhuis Den Haag

“Hind Rajab was one of many innocent victims of horrible genocidal violence and this film is a loving and necessary tribute to her and so many others like her.”

In The Voice of Hind Rajab, six-year-old Hind Rajab regains her voice, even after her tragic death. Director Kaouther Ben Hania reconstructs the harrowing events of January 29, 2024, in Gaza, when Hind was trapped in a car under fire, using the original emergency calls to the Red Crescent. While rescuers do everything they can to get an ambulance through, the girl waits for hours for help that ultimately never arrives. Combining reenactments of the emergency call center, eyewitness accounts, and authentic voices, the film delivers a powerful, urgent, and confronting reflection on shared responsibility and the role of global silence in perpetuating violence.

Review by Sophie Jansen, Teamleader Programming at Filmhuis Den Haag:

''We all know that the violence against and oppression of the Palestinian people is far from over and The Voice of Hind Rajab is here to remind of what that horrible violence entails. Based on the well-known true story of a very young Palestinian girl trapped in a car with her deceased relatives and the emergency workers who tried to save her, this piece of docu fiction mixes the real recordings of Hind’s voice with actors playing those who attempt to help her from a distance.

That’s a risky move to pull with such a heavy subject as this one. However, it works in the capable hands of director Kaouther Ben Hania, who with her previous excellent film Four Daughters already proved that she can cross the line between documentary and fiction smoothly, in a way that pulls you into the story while also making you aware of the manner of storytelling itself. Hind Rajab was one of many innocent victims of horrible genocidal violence and this film is a loving and necessary tribute to her and so many others like her.

Attending the film’s world premiere in Venice was one of the most moving and impressive events of my career. The ovation went on for over 20 minutes and rightly so: to stop clapping just felt wrong. Rarely have I felt such a sense or urgency around a single film and I hope you feel the same way.''

Show on map