Cairo International Film Festival is proud to announce that acclaimed Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania’s film The Voice of Hind Rajab has been selected as the Closing Film of the festival’s 46th edition. The film will have its African Premiere on 21 November 2025, concluding the festival, which runs from 12 to 21 November 2025 under the auspices of Egypt’s Ministry of Culture.
The screening in Cairo follows the film’s recent triumph at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, where it won the prestigious Silver Lion – Grand Jury Prize, one of the world’s most esteemed honors. The film received widespread critical acclaim and a standing ovation lasting more than twenty minutes, cementing its status as one of the year’s most important cinematic achievements.
A Tunisian–French co-production, The Voice of Hind Rajab is a powerful drama blending fiction and documentary, inspired by heartbreaking real events. It tells the story of Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian girl who found herself trapped in a car under heavy shelling in Gaza after losing her family. During those harrowing moments, Hind made a desperate call to the Palestinian Red Crescent emergency services, while rescue teams struggled to secure safe passage to reach her. Using the actual audio recording of the call, the film delivers a striking cinematic experience that illuminates silence, fear, and waiting—transforming the child’s voice into a universal symbol of innocence confronting violence.
Festival President Hussein Fahmy stated:
“Presenting The Voice of Hind Rajab as the closing film of this year’s edition reflects the festival’s deep belief in cinema’s role in defending human causes, foremost among them the Palestinian cause. It is a profoundly moving work that demonstrates how art can serve as a voice for justice and freedom.”
Artistic Director Mohamed Tarek added:
“Selecting Kaouther Ben Hania’s film for the festival’s finale celebrates the role of Arab cinema in carrying the voice of Palestine to the world and reaffirms that cinema can be a bridge uniting peoples and preserving our shared memory. Its prestigious Silver Lion win in Venice further elevates its global significance and makes us even prouder to present it in Cairo.”
The presence of The Voice of Hind Rajab at the closing of Cairo International Film Festival comes to remind us all of the power of art in facing pain and restores to our hearts the belief that cinema can carry the whisper of innocence and turn a story into light amid darkness. We raise the voice of Hind and all the children whose childhood has been torn away by violence, believing that the power of image and word can keep hope alive and grant humanity a new chance for cohesion and inspiration.
