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THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB to close 46th Cairo International Film Festival
21 September 2025
An immensely powerful film that shook the Venice International Film Festival to its core, THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB by Oscar-nominated director Kaouther Ben Hania is poised to close off this year’s edition of the Cairo International Film Festival (November 12th to 21st), under the patronage of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture.
THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB is a docudrama about the real shocking story of a girl from Gaza murdered by Israeli forces that uses real voice recordings from the victims and the Red Crescent correspondents who attempted to save her life.
Veteran actor and president of the festival Hussein Fahmy stated, “Screening THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB as the closing film of this edition reflects the festival’s belief in cinema’s role in advocating human causes, first and foremost the Palestinian cause. It is a film that leaves a profound impact and turns art into a tool for expressing justice and freedom.”
Meanwhile, Mohamed Tarek, artistic director of CIFF, said, “Selecting Kaouther Ben Hania’s film as the festival’s closing night film is a celebration of Arab cinema’s role in conveying the voice of Palestine to the world. It reaffirms that cinema can serve as a bridge to unite people and preserve shared memory.”
Its prestigious Silver Lion win in Venice adds to its global significance and deepens our pride in presenting it in Cairo. We raise the voice of Hind and all children robbed of their childhood by violence, believing in the power of image and word to keep hope alive and offer humanity a new chance for solidarity and inspiration,” he adds.
Back on January 29th in 2024, Red Crescent volunteers received an emergency call. A 6-year-old girl, trapped in a car under fire in Gaza, was pleading for rescue. While trying to keep her on the line, they did everything they could to get an ambulance to her. Her name was Hind Rajab.
The film has already garnered significant acclaim in a short span of time, winning a Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize, the UNICEF Award, an Edipo Re Award, an Arca Cinema Giovani Award, as well as the CICT-UNESCO Enrico Fulchignoni Award at its Venice Film Festival world premiere. It also received a thunderous over a 20-minute standing ovation, the longest in the festival’s history.
The premiere catapulted the film into the international spotlight, drawing intense attention from global press and earning high ratings on critical sites. It currently holds an overall rating of 85 on Metacritic, with a 100% positive review score from over ten major media outlets.
Notable among the reviews was Nicholas Barber’s (BBC) near-perfect 100 score, writing, “No other film this year will get more people talking or more people crying.” Kevin Maher of The Times also awarded a 100, urging politicians and decision-makers to see it. The Playlist’s Marshal Shaffer rated the film 91, stating, “Take out a thesaurus for any overused critical buzzword about political cinema—timely, urgent, necessary—and they all fail to capture the shattering impact of Kaouther Ben Hania’s THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB.”
Following its triumphant world premiere, the film has been selected for prestigious festivals, including the Toronto International Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, San Sebastián International Film Festival, and the BFI London Film Festival, And now, it heads to as well the Doha Film Festival.
The film’s executive producers also include Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner through their company Plan B Entertainment, who received “In Association With” credits alongside Film4 and MBC Studios. Other prominent figures joining as executive producers are journalist and producer Jemima Khan, Canadian businessman and Lionsgate founder Frank Giustra, and jewelry designer and social figure Sabine Getty.
Filmed in Tunisia and starring Amer Hlehel, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees, and Saja Kilani, the film’s worldwide sales are being handled by Paris-based The Party Film Sales, which is co-representing the North American rights with CAA Media Finance. Theatrical and cultural rights in the Arab World are managed by MAD Distribution.
THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB is a collaboration between Mime Films (Tunisia) and Tanit Films (France). It is produced by Nadim Cheikhrouha, Odessa Rae, and James Wilson and is made in collaboration with the Palestinian Red Crescent.
The director, Kaouther Ben Hania, is among the most acclaimed filmmakers of the Arab World, known for her bold storytelling. Her previous film, FOUR DAUGHTERS, won the L’Oeil d’Or at Cannes and was nominated for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar in 2024. Her 2020 feature, THE MAN WHO SOLD HIS SKIN, was nominated for Best International Feature and won Best Actor in the Horizons Section at Venice. Her earlier works, including BEAUTY AND THE DOGS, ZAINEB HATES THE SNOW, and CHALLAT OF TUNIS, have also earned international acclaim.
THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB is a docudrama about the real shocking story of a girl from Gaza murdered by Israeli forces that uses real voice recordings from the victims and the Red Crescent correspondents who attempted to save her life.
Veteran actor and president of the festival Hussein Fahmy stated, “Screening THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB as the closing film of this edition reflects the festival’s belief in cinema’s role in advocating human causes, first and foremost the Palestinian cause. It is a film that leaves a profound impact and turns art into a tool for expressing justice and freedom.”
Meanwhile, Mohamed Tarek, artistic director of CIFF, said, “Selecting Kaouther Ben Hania’s film as the festival’s closing night film is a celebration of Arab cinema’s role in conveying the voice of Palestine to the world. It reaffirms that cinema can serve as a bridge to unite people and preserve shared memory.”
Its prestigious Silver Lion win in Venice adds to its global significance and deepens our pride in presenting it in Cairo. We raise the voice of Hind and all children robbed of their childhood by violence, believing in the power of image and word to keep hope alive and offer humanity a new chance for solidarity and inspiration,” he adds.
Back on January 29th in 2024, Red Crescent volunteers received an emergency call. A 6-year-old girl, trapped in a car under fire in Gaza, was pleading for rescue. While trying to keep her on the line, they did everything they could to get an ambulance to her. Her name was Hind Rajab.
The film has already garnered significant acclaim in a short span of time, winning a Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize, the UNICEF Award, an Edipo Re Award, an Arca Cinema Giovani Award, as well as the CICT-UNESCO Enrico Fulchignoni Award at its Venice Film Festival world premiere. It also received a thunderous over a 20-minute standing ovation, the longest in the festival’s history.
The premiere catapulted the film into the international spotlight, drawing intense attention from global press and earning high ratings on critical sites. It currently holds an overall rating of 85 on Metacritic, with a 100% positive review score from over ten major media outlets.
Notable among the reviews was Nicholas Barber’s (BBC) near-perfect 100 score, writing, “No other film this year will get more people talking or more people crying.” Kevin Maher of The Times also awarded a 100, urging politicians and decision-makers to see it. The Playlist’s Marshal Shaffer rated the film 91, stating, “Take out a thesaurus for any overused critical buzzword about political cinema—timely, urgent, necessary—and they all fail to capture the shattering impact of Kaouther Ben Hania’s THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB.”
Following its triumphant world premiere, the film has been selected for prestigious festivals, including the Toronto International Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, San Sebastián International Film Festival, and the BFI London Film Festival, And now, it heads to as well the Doha Film Festival.
The film’s executive producers also include Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner through their company Plan B Entertainment, who received “In Association With” credits alongside Film4 and MBC Studios. Other prominent figures joining as executive producers are journalist and producer Jemima Khan, Canadian businessman and Lionsgate founder Frank Giustra, and jewelry designer and social figure Sabine Getty.
Filmed in Tunisia and starring Amer Hlehel, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees, and Saja Kilani, the film’s worldwide sales are being handled by Paris-based The Party Film Sales, which is co-representing the North American rights with CAA Media Finance. Theatrical and cultural rights in the Arab World are managed by MAD Distribution.
THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB is a collaboration between Mime Films (Tunisia) and Tanit Films (France). It is produced by Nadim Cheikhrouha, Odessa Rae, and James Wilson and is made in collaboration with the Palestinian Red Crescent.
The director, Kaouther Ben Hania, is among the most acclaimed filmmakers of the Arab World, known for her bold storytelling. Her previous film, FOUR DAUGHTERS, won the L’Oeil d’Or at Cannes and was nominated for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar in 2024. Her 2020 feature, THE MAN WHO SOLD HIS SKIN, was nominated for Best International Feature and won Best Actor in the Horizons Section at Venice. Her earlier works, including BEAUTY AND THE DOGS, ZAINEB HATES THE SNOW, and CHALLAT OF TUNIS, have also earned international acclaim.
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