Review of the 61st Chicago International Film Festival – The Voice of Hind Rajab

      The Voice of Hind Rajab, 2025.

      Written and Directed by Kaouther Ben Hania.

      Featuring Motaz Malhees, Saja Kilani, Amer Hlehel, Clara Khoury, and Nesbat Serhan.

      SYNOPSIS:

      On January 29, 2024, Red Crescent volunteers receive an urgent call. A 6-year-old girl is trapped in a car under gunfire in Gaza, urgently requesting help. While they attempt to keep her on the line, they do everything possible to dispatch an ambulance to her location. Her name was Hind Rajab.

      Before delving into the mixed feelings surrounding Kaouther Ben Hania’s The Voice of Hind Rajab, it’s important to recognize that this film is significant, essential, and profoundly impactful. However, there are concerns about the storytelling approach, which merges documentary with dramatization, occasionally veering towards over-dramatization. This raises issues of exploitation and frustration, as, despite the urgency of this narrative and its need for wider acknowledgment, it shares similarities with various thriller films set in call centers.

      The premise of a "will they/won’t they" save a six-year-old girl, using actual audio recordings of the frightened Hind Rajab Hamada as she is trapped in a vehicle riddled with bullets next to deceased family members, interwoven with a familiar narrative structure akin to The Guilty, lies at the crossroads of courageous, heart-wrenching filmmaking aimed at exposing Israel's ongoing atrocities against Palestinians while also potentially leaving a bitter aftertaste.

      One alternative could involve casting an actress to portray Hind Rajab, which would be entirely inappropriate. Another question arises: “why isn’t this simply a documentary?” Perhaps it’s because, despite their vital importance (as exemplified by last year’s impactful documentary No Other Land), they often struggle to secure distribution or attract an audience that needs to engage with these events. The reluctance of most Hollywood figures to take a stand doesn’t help either. However, with A-list producers like Brad Pitt and Joaquin Phoenix involved, there may be renewed hope for this project.

      Still, the film’s structure is noteworthy, featuring actors portraying the real Red Crescent volunteers who grapple with internal conflicts regarding the adequacy of efforts to rescue Hind Rajab and navigate strict protocols for establishing an ambulance route in Gaza. The severity of the situation is undeniable, supported by some profoundly moving performances. The casting team has made great efforts to blend professional and non-professional actors, ensuring their performances mesh smoothly with Hind Rajab's real audio. Occasionally, the audio of the actual Red Crescent volunteers overlaps, making it challenging to distinguish between the two.

      The narrative being conveyed is essential and should be amplified as widely as possible. As a film, it isn't without its imperfections, such as repetitive themes, familiarity, and suspicions that some arguments and dialogues may have been exaggerated. However, that might be inconsequential, considering The Voice of Hind Rajab, not to sound clichéd, transcends the definition of a movie. It represents a disturbing reality that needs to be acknowledged, an urgent call for action, a demand for peace, and a powerful condemnation of events that should never have transpired. Anyone with compassion will undoubtedly be affected by this film. Whether aspects of it are manipulative or in questionable taste could spark an interesting discussion. Regardless of my own concerns, perhaps this isn't the time for such a debate. The priority should be on advocating for Palestine, and hopefully, impactful works like this will contribute to that cause.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★

      Robert Kojder