The film follows a six-year-old trapped under fire in Gaza as Red Crescent volunteers race against time to save her.
Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania has earned fresh international recognition as her latest feature, The Voice of Hind Rajab, has been longlisted for the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards in the categories of Best Director and Film Not in the English Language. The official BAFTA nominations will be revealed on January 27, ahead of the awards ceremony scheduled for February 22.
The BAFTA longlisting follows a strong awards-season run for the film, which was recently shortlisted for the Academy Awards and nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture in a Non-English Language. The film is also preparing for a wide theatrical release across the Arab world through the CineMAD initiative, launched by Cairo-based MAD Solutions to bring internationally recognised Arab films to regional cinemas.
A Tunisian-French co-production, The Voice of Hind Rajab is inspired by the true story of Hind Rajab, who was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza. The film incorporates authentic audio recordings of Hind’s final communications with Red Crescent volunteers who attempted to rescue her, lending the work a powerful documentary dimension.
The film premiered at the Venice International Film Festival, where it received a standing ovation lasting more than 20 minutes, the longest in the festival’s history. It went on to win several major honours, including the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize, the UNICEF Award, the Edipo Re Award, the Arca Cinema Giovani Award and the CICT-UNESCO Enrico Fulchignoni Award. Its festival journey continued with high-profile screenings as the closing film of the 46th Cairo International Film Festival and the opening film of the inaugural Doha Film Festival.
Further accolades followed at festivals across Europe, with audience and jury awards at Cinemed in Montpellier, the Mostra de València–Cinema del Mediterrani, the Warsaw International Film Festival and the Grand Prize for Best Film of 2025 at the Ghent International Film Festival.
The film boasts a list of executive producers, including Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara and Alfonso Cuarón, alongside Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner through Plan B Entertainment, which received “In Association With” credits with Film4 and MBC Studios. Additional executive producers include Jemima Khan, Lionsgate founder Frank Giustra and designer Sabine Getty.
Shot in Tunisia, the film stars Amer Hlehel, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees and Saja Kilani. International sales are handled by Paris-based The Party Film Sales, with North American rights co-represented by CAA Media Finance, while MAD Distribution oversees theatrical and cultural rights in the Arab world.
The Voice of Hind Rajab is produced by Tanit Films and Mime Films, RaeFilm Studios and JW Films Production, in collaboration with the Palestinian Red Crescent.
