'The Voice of Hind Rajab' director refuses Berlin award, cites need for justice and accountability

'I cannot accept this award while a genocide is ongoing,' Kaouther Ben Hania remarked

Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania has declined to accept the “Most Valuable Film” award for her film The Voice of Hind Rajab at a “Cinema for Peace” event held alongside the Berlin International Film Festival, in a move that has drawn global attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Ben Hania left the trophy behind during the ceremony, telling the audience she felt a “sense of responsibility rather than gratitude” as she addressed the room. She added, “I cannot accept this award while a genocide is ongoing,” and stressed that recognition must not overshadow the urgent demand for justice.

Her speech centered on Hind Rajab, the five-year-old Palestinian girl whose story inspired the film. Ben Hania said, “This film is not fiction. It is a testimony,” urging the international community to pursue accountability for the child’s killing and the broader violence in Gaza.

The director’s decision also came in response to an Israeli general being honored at the same event. Addressing that moment directly, she stated, “There is no peace without justice,” emphasizing that symbolic gestures of peace are meaningless without accountability for victims.

The Voice of Hind Rajab, which recreates the child’s final hours using real emergency call recordings, has received wide acclaim since its premiere in 2025. By refusing the award, Ben Hania reiterated her stance that art must serve as a platform for truth, concluding, “We cannot celebrate cinema while children are dying.”