Tunisian Oscar nominated filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania’s Venice Silver Lion winner is “a moving tribute to resilience and the power of cinema”.
Doha Film Institute (DFI) today announced that the 2025 Doha Film Festival will open with The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia, France) by award-winning director Kaouther Ben Hania, marking a powerful start to Qatar's spotlight of global cinema. The festival is in its inaugural year and becomes a necessary part of the cinematic landscape of Fall festivals in the region.
Ben Hania’s film is a recipient of the Institute’s grants program and captures, eerily, the final moments of an innocent child’s life. Hind Rajab, whose voice shook the conscience of the world, made the call as she and her cousin laid injured in a car which had been shot up by the Israeli army in Gaza.
According to the DFI’s press release, “Hind’s story is not just one of unimaginable loss, it is a testament to courage, a reminder of the human cost of silence, and a call for compassion that transcends borders.”
“Hind’s voice, trembling yet unyielding, speaks to every one of us.”
The film won the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize at the recently concluded 82nd Venice Film Festival. The jury, headed by American filmmaker Alexander Payne, was made up of world cinema figures like Oscar-nominated I’m Still Here Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres, Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof, Palme d’Or-winning Romanian director Cristian Mungiu, Italian director Maura Delpero and Chinese actor and producer Zhao Tao.
Critical reception in Venice was very good and the film received a record 22+ minutes standing ovation at its official world premiere on September 3rd in the Lido’s Sala Grande.
“In choosing this powerful film to open the festival, DFI affirms its belief in cinema as a force that can pierce through indifference, carry voices across continents, and remind us of our shared humanity,” the Festival’s press release went on to state, “This selection reflects the Institute’s mission to champion truth, give voice to the unheard, and boldly confront the realities that shape our world.”
About the selection of the opening film, Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Festival Director and Chief Executive Officer of DFI, said: “To open our festival with The Voice of Hind Rajab is to honor truth — fragile, heartbreaking, and urgent. Hind’s voice, trembling yet unyielding, speaks to every one of us. It is the story of all children, women, and men of Palestine whose lives have been shattered by violent aggression of the Israeli occupation and whose resilience continues to inspire global conscience. This powerful film demonstrates cinema's unique role in amplifying voices that matter, reflecting the pain and courage of the Palestinian people, and the extraordinary efforts of the unsung heroes who tried to save an innocent child. By honouring Hind’s memory and that of countless others, we hope to awaken empathy, inspire justice, and remind the world that no story, however painful, should be left untold.”
The Voice of Hind Rajab integrates actual emergency call recordings with scripted performances in recreating the harrowing period when the young Palestinian girl, Hind Rajab, was trapped in a car under military fire. Hollywood luminaries, including Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara and Alfonso Cuarón have joined on board as Executive Producers, and the film will represent Tunisia at the 98th Academy Awards.
Taking place from 20–28 November 2025, Doha Film Festival (DFF) represents the bold next chapter in Doha Film Institute's mission to nurture regional talent and champion urgent and authentic stories in cinema. The festival will transform iconic locations across Doha, including Katara Cultural Village, Msheireb Downtown Doha, and the Museum of Islamic Art, into vibrant hubs of cultural exchange, bringing together filmmakers, storytellers, and audiences from every corner of the globe, to reaffirm art’s power to heal, to unite, and to spotlight voices that deepen our shared understanding.