Doha Film Festival begins with a gripping portrayal of loss, resilience, and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Doha Film Festival Opens with Emotional Portrayal of Hind Rajab’s Final Moments

The inaugural Doha Film Festival set a somber yet powerful tone as it opened with the screening of The Voice of Hind Rajab, a moving cinematic tribute that revisits the tragic final moments of a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli fire in 2024.
The film, which recently won the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival, brought an emotional wave across the audience as it retold the story that once shocked the world.

A Story That Shook the Global Conscience

Hind Rajab was traveling with her uncle, aunt, and cousins in an attempt to flee intensifying violence in Gaza when their car came under attack. Despite severe injuries, the little girl managed to place a desperate call to Red Crescent volunteers, pleading for help as gunfire raged in the background.
Her voice, trembling yet brave, became symbolic of the suffering endured by countless Palestinian children. Moments later, she was killed by Israeli fire.

Real Audio at the Heart of the Film

Directed by acclaimed Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania, the feature combines dramatized scenes with Hind’s actual voice recording, capturing the full audio of her haunting conversation with Red Crescent responders.
The film recreates the tense atmosphere inside the Red Crescent office as volunteers struggled to keep Hind calm while unable to reach her due to continuous shelling.

A Director Driven by Responsibility and Grief

Ben Hania revealed that she had been preparing a different project for early 2024, but Hind’s case altered everything.
“I heard her voice, and it stayed with me as if she was asking me to help,” she told reporters.
After obtaining the audio from the Red Crescent, she knew it had to be central to the film. Though she initially considered a documentary, she chose a feature film to deliver deeper emotional impact, especially since a documentary already existed.

A Mother’s Pain That Silenced the Audience

During the opening ceremony, Hind’s mother delivered a heartbreaking message:
“Since the passing of Hind, I keep searching for my daughter. She is gone, but I hear her voice every day. The voice of my daughter is the voice of the children of Gaza.”
She tearfully added that she had not watched the film and could not bear to.
“I wish the children lived instead of becoming martyrs.”
Her words left the hall in complete silence.

A Film That Becomes a Testimony

The Voice of Hind Rajab goes beyond cinema it stands as a record of suffering, resistance, and the human cost of war.
By opening with this film, the Doha Film Festival delivered a message of remembrance and urgency, highlighting the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza and the voices that must never be forgotten.