"The Voice of Hind Rajab," Shortlisted for Oscar, Uses Audio of 6-Year-Old Girl Killed in Gaza

The film's power stems from incorporating the actual phone calls of six-year-old Hind Rajab, providing an unfiltered, harrowing account of her final hours. This raw audio is central to the docudrama's emotional impact and authenticity.

The film incorporates the real audio recordings of phone calls from Little Hind as she was trapped under Israeli fire for hours pleading with Palestine Red Crescent dispatchers.

Despite Red Crescent efforts to coordinate with Israeli authorities for a safe route, the ambulance sent to rescue Hind was targeted. This highlights the systemic challenges and dangers faced by humanitarian workers in conflict zones, even when following protocols.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society later said Israeli forces also targeted its ambulance as it arrived on the scene. The emergency workers, Ysef Zeno and Ahmed Amadun, had found their way to Hen, but were killed by Israeli forces just yards away from Hen's family car.

Director Kather Benhania created the film to elevate Hind's voice beyond fleeting social media attention, placing it in a cinematic form where audiences are compelled to listen. Her goal was to honor Hind's story and highlight the heroism of those who tried to save her, with the explicit blessing of Hind's mother who sought justice.

For me it was very important to take this voice out of the social media busyness and forgetness and amnesia and to put it in a cinematic form where people can sit and listen... I did this movie to honor her voice but also to tell this incredible story of those hero, you know, trying to save lives in impossible condition.