The Tunisian film director, Kaouther Ben Hania, expressed her pride in the honor, affirming that “cinema cannot bring Hind back to life, but it can preserve her voice.” She considers Hind’s story a reflection of the tragedy of an entire people facing genocide at the hands of the Israeli occupation. The film “The Voice of Hind Rajab” received a standing ovation lasting 24 minutes during its world premiere, setting a festival record. The film combines original audio recordings with re-enactments to tell the story of Hind Rajab, who pleaded for hours over the phone to be rescued by association medics after her uncle, aunt, and three cousins were killed in an airstrike targeting their car. Although the medics received permission to send an ambulance, contact was lost upon their arrival, as they were also killed in an airstrike targeting their vehicle. “The Voice of Hind Rajab” is set to be screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and has been selected to represent Tunisia in the Oscar race for Best International Film. Israel continues its war on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023. Despite Arab and international mediation efforts and opposition voices within Israel, Netanyahu’s government insists on continuing the fight, recently announcing approval of a plan to control Gaza City. International warnings suggest that this plan will lead to a humanitarian catastrophe, exacerbating the suffering of the Gaza Strip’s residents, with the war having killed about 60,000 people and injured approximately 163,000 others.
