Less than two days after attending the Golden Globes in L.A., the filmmakers behind “The Voice of Hind Rajab” took part in a panel discussion inside British Parliament in London.
The event, held on Tuesday night in the House of Lords, was aimed at not just discussing the making of the deeply powerful and multi award-winning film — which chronicles the Red Crescent efforts to save Hind Rajab, a 5-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed by the IDF during the Israeli invasion of Gaza in 2024 — but continue to raise the plight of those living in Gaza to politicians and those with the power to effect change.
Hosted by Melanie Ward, MP, and attended by several other Members of Parliament, the panel was made up of writer-director Kaouther Ben Hania, actor Motaz Malhees and producers Nadim Cheikhrouha and James Wilson.
Ben Hania discussed hearing Rajab’s voice recording for the very first time and it having an “immediate impact,” asking herself: “What can I do?”
“Because there is this feeling of helplessness toward what is happening in Gaza,” she said. “So I said, I’m a filmmaker. We often talk about the power of cinema. So I thought, maybe I’ll do a movie.”
After premiering at Venice Film Festival, where it won the grand jury prize, “The Voice of Hind Rajab” has gone on to earn honors at festivals around the world, landed a Golden Globe nomination for best non-English language film and is expected to be in the mix for both the BAFTAs and Oscars when the nominations are announced.
But for all the accolades, producer Cheikhrouha admitted that his “biggest fear was that we did this for no reason” when it came to Gaza.
“We made this film so that it could participate in change,” he said, addressing the room. “Our real hope is that it helps change and is a tool used by decision makers. We know what’s happening. Governments are silent or complicit and this has to change. We just did a movie. We count on you.”
It’s for this reason that, alongside the usual globe-trotting promotional work for any major film that’s part of the awards conversation, the team behind “The Voice of Hind Rajab” (which Altitude is also releasing in the U.K. and Ireland on Friday) is taking part in discussions such as the one in the House of Lords. On Wednesday, Cheikhrouha, Malhees and producer Odessa Rae (who was also in London), are traveling to Brussels for a panel at the EU Parliament.
The U.K. panel also took place the day after the mother of Rajab, Wesam Hamada, the team behind the film and dozens of artists, human rights leaders and humanitarian organizations signed an open letter calling for the immediate restoration of medical aid to Gaza.
Joaquin Phoenix, Hannah Einbinder, Mark Ruffalo, Mahershala Ali, Cynthia Nixon and Ilana Glazer were among the signatories of the letter, which called for the “immediate, unconditional, unhindered and sustained humanitarian access into Palestine.”
The letter concluded: “Let Hind’s last words remind you of the stakes: open all corridors, ensure the entry of aid in the quantities and items urgently needed, protect healthcare workers, and ensure that no child’s life ends in a plea that the world ignores.”
