This time 82nd edition of the world’s oldest film festival, the Venice Film Festival, will showcase more than cinematic masterpieces. It will display the horrific reminder of the human cost of war through the movie Hind Rajab, named Voice of Hind Rajab.

Festival organisers say that this docu-drama can leave one of the strongest impressions in a lineup packed with Oscar hopefuls.

The Voice of Hind Rajab

The Voice of Hind Rajab, the latest feature from Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania, will debut in competition at this year’s Venice Film Festival.

The film uses original emergency service recordings to tell the story of a 5-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed in Gaza in 2024 after being trapped for hours in a vehicle targeted by Israeli forces.

“I think it is one of the films that will make the greatest impression, and hopefully (won’t be) controversial,” said the festival’s artistic director, Alberto Barbera, his voice trembling as he recalled the movie.

The Story of Hind Rajab

On a night in January 2024, Hind Rajab was fleeing Israeli shelling with her family in Gaza City. Their car was shot at. Everyone inside (except Hind) was killed. Rajab and another cousin survived and contacted the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) seeking aid. For hours, she remained alone in the car, surrounded by the bodies of her loved ones, calling for help over the phone.

Emergency responders tried to reach her. Hind kept calling. But no one came. When rescuers finally did arrive, they too were killed. Hind’s body was discovered days later, alongside the crushed ambulance sent to save her.

The car was later found with both Rajab and the paramedics dead. Rajab’s death sparked global protests, most notably at Columbia University, where students renamed Hamilton Hall as Hind’s Hall. The American rapper Macklemore also released a protest song called Hind’s Hall.

This is the real-life story at the centre of the film. But the movie doesn’t rely on drama.  Using Hind’s actual phone calls, witness accounts (even her own mother’s experience), who were on the other end of the call to reconstructs her final hours, is chilling for everyone with still some humanity left in them.

The film’s official synopsis reads: January 29, 2024. Red Crescent volunteers receive an emergency call. A 6-year old girl is trapped in a car under fire in Gaza, pleading for rescue. While trying to keep her on the line, they do everything they can to get an ambulance to her. Her name was Hind Rajab.

The Filmmaker’s Statement: Ben Hania’s Announcement

The film is helmed by acclaimed Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania. The veteran filmmaker announced this achievement through an Instagram post that read:

The filmmaker can be seen grieving over the tragedy and her own experience making this documentary.

“More powerful than the noise of breaking news or the forgetfulness of scrolling. Cinema can preserve a memory. Cinema can resist amnesia. May Hind Rajab’s voice be heard.” The filmmaker is voicing what we all felt when we heard the tragedy.