Kaouther Ben Hania's The Voice of Hind Rajab carried Tunisia to the heart of world cinema, and a long tradition with it.
Kaouther Ben Hania's The Voice of Hind Rajab became Tunisia's, and the continent's, standout film of the year. Built around the real recorded voice of a five year old Palestinian girl pleading for help, it won the Grand Jury Prize at Venice in 2025 and drew a standing ovation that ran for some twenty three minutes, then went on to become Tunisia's sole African nominee at the Academy Awards.
The film arrived with formidable backing, including Brad Pitt's Plan B and a cast of international names, yet its power is local in origin: a Tunisian director's refusal to look away. It is Ben Hania's third brush with the Oscars after Four Daughters and The Man Who Sold His Skin.
She works in a deep tradition. The taboo breaking cinema of Nouri Bouzid, the women's stories of Moufida Tlatli, the warmth of Ferid Boughedir, all run beneath her. The film is the latest proof that Tunisia, small and often overlooked, keeps producing filmmakers the world cannot ignore.
