Director Kaouther Ben Hania’s “The Voice of Hind Rajab” is one of the most gut-wrenching films I’ve seen in a long time. It tells the true story of six-year-old Hind Rajab, a young girl trapped in a car under fire in Gaza, and the desperate efforts of Palestine Red Crescent volunteers to save her. What makes this movie so devastatingly real is that it uses actual emergency phone calls from that day (January 29, 2024) mixed with dramatized reenactments. The way the film blends real recordings with actors is haunting, like watching history unfold in real time.
Although the story takes place in a single location, the tension is relentless as you hear Hind’s actual voice, scared and pleading, and then watch actors (Saja Kilani, Amer Hlehel, Motaz Malhees, and Clara Khoury) inhabit the same spaces and moments the real dispatchers did. You’re on the line, feeling every moment of fear, confusion, and helplessness. Exhausted and overwhelmed with empathy and frustration, the volunteers do everything they can to get help, all while navigating impossible bureaucracy and trying to comfort a terrified little girl. Every second is a reminder of how fragile life is in war zones, how impossible decisions can be, and how ordinary often become heroes under pressure. And even if you know the tragic ending, the movie doesn’t feel manipulative. It’s raw, urgent, and unbearably human.
What hits hardest is the feeling of crushing helplessness on all sides. You see the war’s impact on ordinary people, from the innocent kids caught in the middle to the caring volunteers risking everything to save lives. While much of the film is a re-enactment of true events, the story ends with actual footage of the eventual outcome. It’s devastating but a necessary reminder of the human cost of war that is expressed in an emotional way that no statistic ever could convey.
A small film with a massive emotional impact, “The Voice of Hind Rajab” challenges you to feel, to reflect, and to witness something that the world cannot forget. It is a testament to courage, humanity, and the lives lost too soon. If you can handle the heartbreak, it’s unforgettable.
By: Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots 