Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania’s politically charged drama “The Voice of Hind Rajab” has been set as the opening film of the inaugural Doha Film Festival, which will run Nov. 20–28 in the Qatari capital.
The Doha screening will mark the Middle East premiere of the moving drama, which tells the true story of a 5-year-old Palestinian girl who was stranded in a car that was attacked by Israeli forces in Gaza and later found dead. “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” which recently won Venice Film Festival’s Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize, is supported by the Doha Film Institute (DFI). It has also been selected as the Tunisian candidate in the contest for the best international feature film Oscar at the 98th Academy Awards.
Since the war in Gaza began almost two years ago, Qatar has been a key mediator in cease-fire talks involving Israel and Hamas. Last week, Israeli airstrikes over Doha killed several people affiliated with Hamas as well as a member of Qatar’s internal security forces. On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with the ruling emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, one day after Qatar hosted a summit that saw Arab and Islamic countries denounce Israel over the airstrikes.
“To open our festival with ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ is to honor truth — fragile, heartbreaking and urgent,” said Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, director of the Doha Film Festival and CEO of the DFI, in a statement. “Hind’s voice, trembling yet unyielding, speaks to every one of us. It is the story of all children, women and men of Palestine whose lives have been shattered by violent aggression of the Israeli occupation and whose resilience continues to inspire global conscience. This powerful film demonstrates cinema’s unique role in amplifying voices that matter, reflecting the pain and courage of the Palestinian people, and the extraordinary efforts of the unsung heroes who tried to save an innocent child.”
She concluded: “By honoring Hind’s memory and that of countless others, we hope to awaken empathy, inspire justice, and remind the world that no story, however painful, should be left untold.”
Prior to its Venice bow, “The Voice of Hind Rajab” was boarded by the likes of Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara as producers. Phoenix and Mara were present at the Venice premiere to show their support for the film, which received a huge 22-minute standing ovation.
Just as the tiny Arab state, rich in oil and gas, diversifies from the energy sector into cultural and media and entertainment — as attested by broadcaster Al Jazeera and the 2022 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament — the DFI has steadily grown into a crucial cornerstone of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region film industry.
