“You’re trained for this.”
Emotionally charged and painfully frustrating, Kaouther Ben Hania’s The Voice of Hind Rajab reenacts the true story of a group of Red Crescent volunteers who, in a fight against the clock, do everything in their power to rescue a six-year-old girl who is trapped in a car under IDF fire in war-torn Gaza.
Taking place on January 29, 2024, the docudrama prioritizes authenticity, using actual audio from those tense, heart-wrenching phone calls. And as the volunteers work tirelessly to keep young Hind on the phone, the pain and agony are displayed strongly on their faces. And as the group follows protocol to ensure a safe rescue, the minutes pass with a slow, heavy weight that is nearly palpable.
Hania impeccably interlaces the original audio with the reenacted movements, never leaving the call center as she works to control the viewer’s experience. As the volunteers scramble, a mixture of dread, angst, and uncertainty creeps into the frame. And as time wages on without a resolution in place, tension mounts in a heated plea to save a young child from the horrors of combat.
Credit the small ensemble cast for their immaculate performances. Gracing the screen during a time of terror and panic, they work together to give context to the voice on the end of the line, comforting the young child they’ve never met as they hear the sounds of war ring loud and clear.
Hoping between states of knowing and unknowing, The Voice of Hind Rajab is at its most effective when we hear Hind speak. Her innocence, heard through weight and tone, brings an immediate sense of uneasiness. That pressure hits your heart fast and with vigor as the genuine words of a child, scared for her life, pleading for someone to come and help, hits different.
As the phone line cycles through moments of connectivity, tensions rise. And with an ambulance only eight minutes away, the hours-long exchange adds to the urgency. How can someone so close feel so inaccessible? So isolated. So secluded.
As the events of the day unwind and viewers begin to feel a sense of momentum, a moment of relief starts to take shape. But Hania never allows her audience to get comfortable. Though the Red Crescent is playing by the book, doing everything in its power to ensure the safety of all those involved, risk remains. And even though the group finally receives the long-awaited green light, our protagonist is still vulnerable to the bullets flying around her..
I struggle to analyze this film. I hardly consider it entertainment. But I marvel at how Hania has taken a prolific news story and given it a new medium to educate and inform. In a world where society constantly jumps from one news bulletin to the next, it reminds us of the human behind the politics and the lives at stake amid conflict.
While the story of Hind Rajab is well known, even those familiar will benefit from seeing this film. The Voice of Hind Rajab is that important. The fact that it is a well-crafted cinematic production is a bonus.
