The Power of Art: A Critical Review of "The Voice of Hind Rajeb"
Literature, visual arts, and cinema have long been a powerful tool for humanity, serving as a bulwark against forgetfulness, lies, and falsifications. Aesthetically thinking about reality to heal wounds, even if only morally, is tangible proof of an artist's commitment to human causes.
We were all thrilled to hear about the film "The Voice of Hind Rajeb" by Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania. Eager to discover this cinematic work, which had attracted famous Western producers and won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival, we attended the screening for journalists at the Colisée cinema on September 12. Unfortunately, after the projection, our enthusiasm was short-lived, and disappointment took its place. We couldn't help but think that this film wouldn't rank among the great works of history, such as Pablo Picasso's "Guernica" or Francis Coppola's "Apocalypse Now".
Incrimination or Compassion?
The film falls into the category of docu-fiction, recounting the tragic fate of Palestinian girl Hind Rajeb, who, as the sole survivor among her family's corpses, called for help in vain and eventually died after hours of waiting, assassinated by 355 shots from the Zionist army. The tragedy of Hind Rajab, among many other atrocities, reached the pinnacle of Zionist monstrosity. Creating cinematic works about the reality of Gaza and Palestine is an ethical duty, a historical necessity, and a human commitment. The least that can be done is to transpose the horrors of this criminal occupier onto the screen in a responsible, clear, direct, and incisive manner.
Cinema is the most powerful, influential, and concrete art form, playing a crucial role in raising awareness among the silent Western world, showing its failure towards the Palestinian cause, and focusing the camera on the decay of universal values. It's not about eliciting compassion or pity but rather developing a critical conscience in the face of what's happening in Gaza.
A Missed Opportunity
"The Voice of Hind Rajeb" by Kaouther Ben Hania played on the audience's emotions at the expense of their intellect, offering a cathartic session with many tears shed, while avoiding any direct and concrete attempt to incriminate the Zionist occupier. Addressing Western public opinion doesn't consist of evoking emotions and empathy but rather of indignation, denouncing genocide, and challenging the silence and debasement of human values.
The Shadow of Self-Censorship
The film focused on two factors: the internal obstacles related to the Palestinian Red Crescent Center, administrative complications, and coordination problems between intervening cells, which hindered the dispatch of rescuers. It also questioned the conflicts between Palestinians themselves, through the disagreement between Amr, who hoped to save the girl at all costs, and his superior, Mahdi, who was subject to the Red Crescent's protocols to avoid losing rescuers. These two factors dominated the film, relegating the source of evil – the Zionist entity – to the background. This, in turn, diverted the viewer's attention and averted their gaze from the genocide and Zionist atrocities.
One can't help but feel that this film was pre-oriented by Western producers or perhaps self-censored by the director, choosing a closed interior space as the setting, to guarantee subsidies and international festival invitations. (Self-censorship is more severe than external censorship.) In any case, we sense the shadow of political manipulation and a diversion of attention from the Zionist occupier's monstrosity.
Cinema is First and Foremost the Image
What remains of the film after the projection? Almost nothing. But cinema is first and foremost the image, the canvas, the grand narrative, the acting, the beautiful shots, and the creative vision of the director. I believe there's nothing exceptional in this film, except for the tragic voice of Hind Rajeb, which resonated with us since we first heard it on social media the day of her tragedy.
Frankly, the scenario is so simple that it resembles a sound documentary, based on audio recordings of Hind's voice. Therefore, in terms of cinematic approach, the film is quite modest. What touched the audience was the tragedy of Hind, not the film's aesthetic qualities. It's in terms of solidarity that the film attracted several renowned international producers, either to take a stance or for mercantile gain, given the shift in Western public opinion regarding the Gaza issue. This is why the film was ovated for 23 minutes during its world premiere and won the prestigious Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival.
