The Voice of Hind Rajab Review
The Voice of Hind Rajab (2025) Film Review, a movie written and directed by Kaouther Ben Hania and starring Saja Kilani, Amer Hlehel, Motaz Malhees and Clara Khoury.
Kaouther Ben Hania has crafted a devastating and effective film with the powerful and heart-wrenching, The Voice of Hind Rajab. A young Palestinian child (her name is Hind Rajab) finds herself in a car with her family members who have died as the result of gunfire in Gaza. This film focuses on the rescue team at Red Crescent which tried to get an ambulance employed to her in a safe manner in order to save her life. Though the group at Red Crescent did everything they could do, they didn’t have the ability to make the response a successful one under the very intense circumstances which the film presents in a harrowing manner. Real life voice clips are included in the movie which gives it a sense of authenticity which makes the picture one of the most effective and disturbing pictures of this year or any year.
Saja Kilani plays a supervisor, Rana Hassan Faqih, who was emotionally responsive to the call that Hind Rajab was on with the rescue team. Taking the call was Omar A. Aloam (Motaz Malhees) who was determined to get the young girl the help she so desperately needed. Amer Hlehel portrays Mahdi M. Aljamal who reminds the other characters of the wall in the office that has the pictures of rescue viewers who were lost in the action while trying to conduct successful rescues. Clara Khoury is Nisreen Jeries Qawas who tried to soothe Hind Rajab and make her come to peace with herself during the horrible situation she was immersed in.
This movie is essentially about the interaction between Hind Rajab and the rescue team who must sit and talk to her and give her hope as they anxiously await a possibility of safely getting her the ambulance she would need to avoid the gruesome fate which her family met. Director Hania’s portrait here is a masterfully conceived one that doesn’t let up as the film frustrates with the rescue team at the call center’s inability to do something instantly that would be able to help the young six-year old girl on the other end of the line.
The Voice of Hind Rajab is nothing short of unnerving to watch. Kilani’s character, Rana, becomes very intense in terms of her emotional response to the frightening situation at hand. Kilani handles her scenes with delicate precision and gives the movie a humanistic edge that keeps the viewer engaged and invested in the difficult choices that must be made in this very grueling situation. Malhees serves as Omar, the “everyman” who represents the audience and yearns for the rescue of Hind Rajab. Her safety cannot come without great risks that could cause further deaths if the rescue mission is not successfully orchestrated.
Hlehel’s Mahdi is the voice of reason, the one who tells it like it is and paints a picture of the most likely negative results of acting quickly to the situation at hand. All that can be done is to wait and that’s where Nisreen comes into play as she tries to talk sweetly to Hind Rajab who knows the severity of the situation she is in. Hind Rajab knows her family members are dead and can only hold on for so long as she is clearly dying while speaking to the crew. Khoury’s Nisreen tries to assure Hind Rajab that she will be brought to safety even though that possibility is certainly anything but likely.
There are moments that hit the gut hard in The Voice of Hind Rajab and they come in large doses towards the end as we see the unnecessarily violent approach to the killing of Hind Rajab and her family. Hundreds of bullets saturated the car she was in and the movie cuts right to the point as we see the bodies laying beside the vehicle next to where the tragic incident occurred. This is a strong, fearless movie that is emotionally devastating while being tense and unrelenting as the viewer’s heart sinks at every single voice recording of Hind Rajab that plays. This is a tragedy that will move viewers and anger them simultaneously.
The Voice of Hind Rajab is expertly acted. Hlehel has the most difficult role as the one who must tell it like it is and the actor handles his scenes with remarkable strength as Khoury’s portrayal cuts into the viewer as well as we know Nisreen’s positive outlook on the situation can only last so long before reality sets in. Kilani’s sensitivity is conveyed on-screen in a flawless manner. Omar represents all of us as we listen to the tragedy unfold and only wish there was a way to change the events that happened. Under the circumstances, there were no sensible answers to this complex situation. This film reminds us of the devastating effects of war and the innocent victims whose lives are unfortunately taken from us in a frightening heartbeat. It will be impossible to shake this film from one’s memory anytime soon after seeing it.
Rating: 9.5/10
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