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 ultimately 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 responsibly, clearly, and directly portray the horrors of the criminal occupant on screen.
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 highlighting the decline of universal values. It's not about evoking 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" played on the audience's emotions at the expense of their intellect, offering a cathartic experience with tears, but avoiding any direct and concrete attempt to incriminate the Zionist occupant. Addressing Western opinion doesn't mean evoking emotions and empathy but rather indignation and denouncing genocide, challenging the silence and debasement of human values.
Social media has played its role in spreading information and reaching a wide audience about what's happening in Gaza. However, the artist has a deeper, more conscious, and more determining responsibility. They are called upon to deliver a cinematic approach, a thoughtful aesthetic vision, prompting interrogation, stimulating reflection, dissecting the power structures of the Zionist occupant, and urging action to bring about positive change.
The Shadow of Self-Censorship
The film "The Voice of Hind Rajeb" focused on two factors: first, it highlighted the internal obstacles related to the Palestinian Red Crescent Center, the complications of administrative procedures, and the coordination problems between the intervening cells that hindered the dispatch of rescuers. Second, it 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 protocols of the Red Crescent, aiming to avoid the risk of losing rescuers.
These two factors dominated the film and relegated the source of evil – the Zionist entity – to the background. This, in turn, oriented the viewer's attention and diverted their gaze from the genocide and Zionist atrocities. Moreover, the devastation and ravage outside are barely shown, and only for a few seconds, before returning to the testimony of Hind's mother.
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, whether in good or bad faith, one senses the shadow of political manipulation and a diversion of attention from the Zionist occupant's monstrosity.
Cinema is First and Foremost an Image
Beyond the feelings of pressure, stress, and emotional collapse, what remains of the film? What do we retain after the projection? Almost nothing! But cinema is first and foremost an image, a canvas, a grand narrative, a game of actors, beautiful shots, and the expression of the camera, rhythm, and creative vision of the director... Unfortunately, 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 on the day of her tragedy.
In all honesty, the scenario is so simple that it resembles a sound documentary, especially since it's 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 received a 23-minute ovation at its world premiere and won the prestigious Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival.
