Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara & Alfonso Cuarón Back Gaza Drama The Voice of Hind Rajab

A major spotlight is set to fall on Venice as Kaouther Ben Hania’s harrowing new film The Voice of Hind Rajab prepares for its world premiere, with a roster of Hollywood heavyweights joining the project.

Big Names Behind the Film

Oscar winners Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Alfonso Cuarón, and Oscar nominee Rooney Mara have signed on as executive producers, alongside filmmaker Jonathan Glazer (The Zone of Interest). Pitt’s Plan B (with Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner), Film4, and Middle East studio MBC also appear in the credits with “In Association” acknowledgments.

Other notable executive producers include:

• Jemima Khan (journalist-turned-producer)

• Frank Giustra (businessman, Lionsgate founder)

• Sabine Getty (designer and philanthropist)

CAA’s Maha Dakhil also receives a “thank you” credit.

Story of Hind Rajab

The film dramatizes the tragic story of Hind Rajab, a young Palestinian girl killed in Gaza in early 2024. Rajab, just six years old, was trapped with relatives in a shelled car; though she initially survived and made a desperate call to the Palestine Red Crescent Society, both she and the paramedics sent to rescue her were later found dead. The incident sparked global outrage and protests, including at Columbia University, where students renamed Hamilton Hall as “Hind’s Hall.”

Ben Hania incorporates the real audio recordings of Hind Rajab’s final moments into the film, blending verified events with cinematic dramatization.

Director’s Vision

Ben Hania, previously Oscar-nominated for The Man Who Sold His Skin (2020) and Four Daughters (2023), explained:

“I cannot accept a world where a child calls for help and no one comes. That pain, that failure, belongs to all of us. This story is not just about Gaza. It speaks to a universal grief. Cinema can preserve a memory. Cinema can resist amnesia.”

Festival Buzz & Oscar Prospects

• Venice Festival director Alberto Barbera has already suggested the film will be among the most impactful titles of 2024’s edition.

• The film will also screen at Toronto, San Sebastián, Busan, and London film festivals this fall.

• Given Ben Hania’s track record, The Voice of Hind Rajab is expected to be a strong contender to represent Tunisia at the next Oscars.

Production & Cast

Producers include Nadim Cheikhrouha, Odessa Rae (Navalny), and James Wilson (The Zone of Interest). Financing came together rapidly due to the project’s urgency, with support from Film4, MBC, Sunnyland, DFI, Tunisia’s Ministry of Cultural Affairs, and others.

The cast features Saja Kilani, Motaz Malhees, Clara Khoury, and Amer Hlehel. International sales are handled by The Party Film Sales and CAA.