Kaouther Ben Hania’s ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ Honored, Director Declines Award in Protest

Berlin – Kaouther Ben Hania’s Oscar and BAFTA-nominated documentary, “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” received the Cinema for Peace Award for “most valuable film” at a gala in Berlin on Monday night. Still, Ben Hania declined to accept the award, using her acceptance speech to critique the international response to the conflict in Gaza and the killing of six-year-ancient Hind Rajab.

A Powerful Film and a Protest Against Complicity

“The Voice of Hind Rajab” chronicles the efforts of the Palestine Red Crescent to save Hind Rajab, a young Palestinian girl who was killed by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) during the 2024 invasion of Gaza. The film visualizes Hind’s voice as digital sound waves, utilizing 70 minutes of original audio archive from the Red Crescent.

In a powerful and pointed speech at the Adlon Hotel, Ben Hania stated, “I sense responsibility more than gratitude.” She criticized those she believes enabled the circumstances leading to Rajab’s death, stating, “What happened to Hind is not an exception. It’s a part of a genocide.” She further accused attendees of providing “political cover” for the killing by framing it as self-defense or attributing it to complex circumstances.

Rejecting “Image-Laundering” and Calling for Accountability

Ben Hania vehemently rejected the notion of “peace as a perfume sprayed over violence,” and asserted that cinema should not be used for “image-laundering.” She emphasized the necessity of justice alongside peace, defining justice as accountability.

“The Israeli army killed Hind Rajab; killed her family; killed the two paramedics who came to save her, with the complicity of the world’s most powerful governments and institutions,” Ben Hania declared. She left the award at the event as a “reminder” and stated she would only accept it “when peace is pursued as a legal and moral obligation, rooted in accountability for genocide.”

High-Profile Attendees and Additional Honors

The Cinema for Peace Gala, hosted by Bob Geldof, drew a notable crowd including Hillary Clinton and Kevin Spacey. The event also honored Noam Tibon, a former Israeli general whose family’s rescue from Hamas following the October 7, 2023 attacks was documented in the Canadian film “The Road Between Us.”

Geldof’s Criticism of Donald Trump

Bob Geldof used his platform to directly criticize former U.S. President Donald Trump, calling him “a fucking idiot” and urging him to “shut up” regarding his dismissal of climate change.