Tunis, Sept 17 — Fresh from its award at the 82nd Mostra de Venise, Tunisia’s official submission for the 2026 Academy Awards, The Voice of Hind Rajab, has been selected as the opening film of the Doha Film Festival in Qatar and the closing film of the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) in Egypt, both scheduled for November 2025.
Acclaimed Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania’s film The Voice of Hind Rajab has been selected as the Closing Film of the festival’s 46th edition, Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) announced.
The film will have its African Premiere on November 21, 2025, concluding the festival, which runs from November 12 to 21, 2025 under the auspices of Egypt’s Ministry of Culture.
The screening in Cairo follows the film’s recent triumph at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, where it won the prestigious Silver Lion – Grand Jury Prize, one of the world’s most esteemed honours.
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The film received widespread critical acclaim and a standing ovation lasting more than twenty minutes, cementing its status as one of the year’s most important cinematic achievements.
A Tunisian-French co-production, The Voice of Hind Rajab is a powerful drama blending fiction and documentary, inspired by heartbreaking real events.
It tells the story of Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian girl who found herself trapped in a car under heavy shelling in Gaza after losing her family. During those harrowing moments, Hind made a desperate call to the Palestinian Red Crescent emergency services, while rescue teams struggled to secure safe passage to reach her.
Using the actual audio recording of the call, the film delivers a striking cinematic experience that illuminates silence, fear, and waiting–transforming the child’s voice into a universal symbol of innocence confronting violence.
Festival President Hussein Fahmy stated: “Presenting The Voice of Hind Rajab as the closing film of this year’s edition reflects the festival’s deep belief in cinema’s role in defending human causes, foremost among them the Palestinian cause. It is a profoundly moving work that demonstrates how art can serve as a voice for justice and freedom.”
Artistic Director Mohamed Tarek added: “Selecting Kaouther Ben Hania’s film for the festival’s finale celebrates the role of Arab cinema in carrying the voice of Palestine to the world and reaffirms that cinema can be a bridge uniting peoples and preserving our shared memory. Its prestigious Silver Lion win in Venice further elevates its global significance and makes us even prouder to present it in Cairo.”
The presence of The Voice of Hind Rajab at the closing of the Cairo International Film Festival comes to remind us all of the power of art in facing pain and restores to our hearts the belief that cinema can carry the whisper of innocence and turn a story into light amid darkness. We raise the voice of Hind and all the children whose childhoods have been torn away by violence, believing that the power of image and word can keep hope alive and grant humanity a new chance for cohesion and inspiration.
Doha Film Institute (DFI) announced that the 2025 Doha Film Festival will open with The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia, France) by award-winning director Kaouther Ben Hania, marking a powerful start to Qatar’s spotlight of global cinema.
A recipient of the Institute’s grants programme, the profound film captures the final moments of an innocent child, Hind Rajab, whose voice shook the conscience of the world. Hind’s story is not just one of unimaginable loss, it is a testament to courage, a reminder of the human cost of silence, and a call for compassion that transcends borders, according to the statement.
In choosing this powerful film to open the festival, DFI affirms its belief in cinema as a force that can pierce through indifference, carry voices across continents, and remind us of our shared humanity. This selection reflects the Institute’s mission to champion truth, give voice to the unheard, and boldly confront the realities that shape our world.
Fatma Hassan Alremiahi, Festival Director and Chief Executive Officer of DFI, said, “To open our festival with The Voice of Hind Rajab is to honour truth — fragile, heartbreaking, and urgent. 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 Zionist 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. By honouring 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.”
English by Ben D’haou Nejiba
