A docudrama depicting the killing of five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab during Israel’s war on Gaza has been nominated for an Academy Award, drawing renewed international attention to civilian deaths in the conflict.
The Voice of Hind Rajab, directed by French-Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania, was shortlisted on Thursday for Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards.
The film recounts the final hours of Hind’s life in 2024 as she and her family attempted to flee Gaza City. It combines real emergency call recordings with dramatic reconstructions to portray the events leading to her death.
Emergency Call Audio at the Heart of the Film
Central to the film are recordings from Hind’s phone call to the Palestine Red Crescent Society. In the audio, emergency responders can be heard trying to calm the child as she remained trapped inside a car riddled with bullets, surrounded by the bodies of her relatives.
Hind was later killed, along with two ambulance workers who had been dispatched to rescue her. The audio recording circulated widely on social media after her death, prompting global outrage over Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 71,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, with many of the victims being children. UNICEF has also reported that over 100 Palestinian children have died even after the ceasefire that began in October last year.
Director: ‘Making Her Voice Heard’
Speaking after the nomination, Ben Hania said the film was driven by a desire to ensure that Hind Rajab’s voice would be heard beyond Gaza.
She said the recognition placed a spotlight on a story that had previously gone unheard at a critical moment, adding that cinema can serve as a means of confronting reality rather than escaping it.
Ben Hania also said she was grateful that academy voters recognised the role of film in addressing uncomfortable truths and ongoing humanitarian crises.
Disputed Claims Over the Killing
Israeli authorities initially said their forces were not present at the scene of the Rajab family’s deaths. They later claimed the damage to the vehicle resulted from crossfire between Israeli troops and Palestinian fighters.
However, an independent investigation by Forensic Architecture found no evidence of an exchange of fire. Satellite imagery and audio analysis identified only Israeli Merkava tanks near the vehicle at the time of the incident.
The findings have been cited in legal complaints submitted to the International Criminal Court, including one naming a senior Israeli military officer in connection with the incident.
Continued Recognition for Ben Hania
The Oscar nomination marks the third time Ben Hania’s work has been recognised by the academy. She was previously nominated for The Man Who Sold His Skin and the documentary Four Daughters.
The Voice of Hind Rajab also won the Grand Jury Prize Silver Lion at the Venice International Film Festival last September, where it received a prolonged standing ovation at its premiere.
The 98th Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on March 15 in Los Angeles and will be hosted by Conan O’Brien.