Less than two days after attending the Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles, the makers of “The Voice of Hind Rajab” took part in a panel discussion inside the British Parliament in London.
The event, held in the House of Lords on Tuesday night, was aimed at continuing to raise awareness of the plight of people living in Gaza to politicians and those with the power to effect change, as well as discuss the making of this incredibly powerful, multi-award-winning film documenting the Red Crescent’s efforts to save Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed by the IDF during Israel’s 2024 invasion of Gaza.
The panel discussion, hosted by Melanie Ward MP and attended by several other MPs, included writer-director Kauser Ben Hania, actor Motaz Malheez, and producers Nadim Sheikrouha and James Wilson.
Ben Hania said that when he first heard Rajab’s audio recording, it had an “instant impact” and asked himself, “What can I do?”
“It’s because there’s a sense of powerlessness over what’s happening in Gaza,” she says. “So I said, I’m a filmmaker. We talk a lot about the power of film, so I thought I’d give it a shot.”
After premiering at the Venice Film Festival and winning the Grand Jury Prize, The Voice of Hind Rajab went on to win accolades at film festivals around the world, receiving a Golden Globe nomination for Best Non-English Film and is expected to be nominated for both a BAFTA and an Oscar when nominations are announced.
But despite all the praise, producer Shekruha admitted that when it came to Gaza, “the thing that scared me the most was that we did this for no reason.”
“I made this film so that I could be part of the change,” he told the audience. “Our real hope is that it helps change and becomes a tool used by decision-makers. We know what’s going on. The government is either silent or complicit, and this has to change. We just shot a film. We’re counting on you.”
So, alongside the usual globe-trotting promotional activities for major films that are part of the awards buzz, the team behind The Voice of Hind Rajab (Altitude also opens in the UK and Ireland on Friday) is taking part in discussions like the one in the House of Lords. On Wednesday, Sheikrouha, Malheez and producer Odessa Ray (who was also in London) will head to Brussels for a panel discussion at the EU Parliament.
The UK panel discussion also took place a day after Rajab’s mother Wessam Hamada, the film’s production team 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 other signatories of the letter, which called for “immediate, unconditional, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access to Palestine.”
The letter concludes as follows. “Let us hear Ms. Hind’s last words and remind us of the danger. Let us open all channels, secure the urgently needed quantities and material aid, protect our health workers, and ensure that no child’s life ends with a plea that the world ignores.”
