A Palestinian girl's dying pleas for help cut through the chaos of an airport terminal as actress Kaouther Ben Hania first heard Hind Rajab's voice in February 2024, just days after her death. The five-year-old had been shot multiple times by an Israeli tank alongside six of her relatives in Gaza, leaving behind a trail of destruction and grief.
Hind's desperate cries for help were recorded on the night of January 26, 2024, as she called the Palestine Red Crescent Society emergency call centre via a mobile phone. The recording was made during a particularly traumatic moment – Hind had been shot multiple times and was bleeding out among her dead relatives. The four workers at the call centre promised to send help, but their pleas for assistance were repeatedly ignored.
Ben Hania, a Tunisian director who has made a career out of tackling tough subjects in her films, was struck by the urgency and desperation in Hind's voice. "When I heard her voice, for that millisecond, it felt as if she was asking me to save her," Ben Hania says. The experience left an indelible mark on her – she immediately cleared her schedule to work on a film based around Hind's voice.
The result is a powerful drama, called simply "The Voice of Hind Rajab". In the film, Hind's voice is recreated by actress Hind's actual voice, with four actors playing the roles of the emergency workers who responded to her call. The film conveys the anguish and desperation of those on the other end of the line as they desperately try to save Hind.
Ben Hania has said that she made a conscious effort to stay true to her first feelings when hearing Hind's voice – one of helplessness and sadness. She wanted to capture the torment felt by the emergency workers, who were aware of an ambulance just minutes away but faced numerous obstacles in getting it to Hind.
The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September, where it received a 23-minute standing ovation – the longest in the festival's history. The film has also sparked renewed attention on the conflict in Gaza and the plight of Palestinian children caught up in it.
Ben Hania believes that cinema can change people's perceptions and spark action – "So many children have been killed that we are entering a zone of amnesia and insensitivity," she says. "We're numb, but cinema, literature and art can change things."
Hind's desperate cries for help were recorded on the night of January 26, 2024, as she called the Palestine Red Crescent Society emergency call centre via a mobile phone. The recording was made during a particularly traumatic moment – Hind had been shot multiple times and was bleeding out among her dead relatives. The four workers at the call centre promised to send help, but their pleas for assistance were repeatedly ignored.
Ben Hania, a Tunisian director who has made a career out of tackling tough subjects in her films, was struck by the urgency and desperation in Hind's voice. "When I heard her voice, for that millisecond, it felt as if she was asking me to save her," Ben Hania says. The experience left an indelible mark on her – she immediately cleared her schedule to work on a film based around Hind's voice.
The result is a powerful drama, called simply "The Voice of Hind Rajab". In the film, Hind's voice is recreated by actress Hind's actual voice, with four actors playing the roles of the emergency workers who responded to her call. The film conveys the anguish and desperation of those on the other end of the line as they desperately try to save Hind.
Ben Hania has said that she made a conscious effort to stay true to her first feelings when hearing Hind's voice – one of helplessness and sadness. She wanted to capture the torment felt by the emergency workers, who were aware of an ambulance just minutes away but faced numerous obstacles in getting it to Hind.
The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September, where it received a 23-minute standing ovation – the longest in the festival's history. The film has also sparked renewed attention on the conflict in Gaza and the plight of Palestinian children caught up in it.
Ben Hania believes that cinema can change people's perceptions and spark action – "So many children have been killed that we are entering a zone of amnesia and insensitivity," she says. "We're numb, but cinema, literature and art can change things."
it's like her spirit is still begging for help, and that actress is using it to make a powerful film about it... i think it's so brave of Ben Hania to do that, it's not easy to create something from someone else's pain 
. the fact that people at the airport didn't help her in time is just heartbreaking... like what could they have done differently? 
. The way the director recreated Hind's voice was so powerful, I felt like I was right there with her, screaming for help too 
. The way the actress recreated her voice was so powerful it gave me chills 
. What's even crazier is that the emergency workers on the other end of the line were literally told they'd send help but nobody showed up, leaving this little girl to die 
. This film made me realize how important it is to share their stories and bring attention to the struggles of people like Hind Rajab 
. I'm not saying it's going to change everything, but maybe, just maybe, it can spark some empathy and action 
.
and the actress who played hind's voice did an incredible job of capturing her desperation and fear 
i'm getting chills thinking about how this movie has sparked renewed attention on the conflict in gaza... maybe, just maybe, it'll inspire some change 
what kind of system allows this to happen?! i feel like this film is a necessary reminder of the human cost of war and conflict, and ben hania's passion project might just be the spark needed to change people's minds about what's going on in gaza... fingers crossed it makes a difference 
just saw this film about a 5yo Palestinian girl who was shot in Gaza and her cries for help got ignored... it's so heartbreaking 
. I love how ben hania stayed true to her feelings when making this film, it's like she's speaking straight from her heart 
. this is a must-see for everyone, let's keep spreading awareness and sparking action 
I'm still shook after watchin' this film about Hind Rajab's last pleas for help. It's like, you hear her voice on the phone, and it just breaks u. The way she screams for medical attention amidst all that chaos... it's devastating 
77% of them were under 18 years old 
here's a chart showing the number of Palestinian children killed in Gaza since 2020 
85,000+ 
. What's even more disturbing is how some people seem to have lost sight of reality in the face of war and violence 
.
this is so heartbreaking 
it's the system that failed her 
4 people ignoring calls for help in an emergency 
is not okay 
and we need it now 
to raise awareness & spark action 
but it's up to us too 
to stand with the palestinian people 
️ to support them in every way we can 
.
and I couldn't help but think of all the news coverage back in the 90s about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict... it's like we've been here before, you know? The images of Hind Rajab's pleas for help are etched in my mind forever 
. It's crazy to think that just a few years ago, mobile phones were still a novelty! But at the same time, I hope this film doesn't get lost in the shuffle of all the news we consume every day