Doha Film Festival 2025: ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ Kicks Off Opening Ceremony With Emotional Tribute

The Doha Film Festival will run from November 20 to 28 and feature 97 films from 62 countries.

Justin  Rao
By Justin Rao
LAST UPDATED: NOV 22, 2025, 11:43 IST|5 min read
The opening ceremony of the Doha Film Festival 2025
The opening ceremony of the Doha Film Festival 2025

"Save the children of Gaza before its last light goes out,” said Wissem Hamada, the mother of a six-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab, whose desperate final phone calls form the heart of filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania’s The Voice of Hind Rajab, the urgent docu-drama that opened the Doha Film Festival 2025 on Thursday evening.

The film traces the frantic efforts of Red Crescent volunteers responding to an emergency call from Hind Rajab, who was trapped in a car under fire in Gaza. The recording of her real-life plea for help, moments before she was reportedly killed by the Israel Defense Forces, anchors the feature’s narrative.

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Hamada introduced the film to a packed auditorium of global audiences and industry delegates. Fighting back tears, she said she still has not been able to watch the film—and perhaps never will—that reconstructs her daughter’s final moments. “It’s not easy to stand here… I haven’t seen the film, and I don’t know if I have the strength to. I wish the ending had been different,” she said, visibly emotional.

She was joined on stage by the filmmaking team, including director Kaouther Ben Hania, producers Nadim Cheikhrouha and Odessa Rae, cast members Saja Kilani, Amer Hlehel, Motaz Malhees and Clara Khoury, as well as representatives from the Palestine Red Crescent Society, led by President Dr. Younis Al-Khatib and Director General Khaled Abu Ghoush.

The team of 'The Voice of Hind Rajab' at the red carpet
The team of 'The Voice of Hind Rajab' at the red carpet

During the opening ceremony, HE Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of the Doha Film Institute (DFI), presented the DFF 2025 Creative Excellence Award to acclaimed actors Jamal Soliman and Golshifteh Farahani for their outstanding contributions to cinema.

Jamal Soliman receives Creative Excellence Award at DFI 2025
Jamal Soliman receives Creative Excellence Award at DFI 2025
 Golshifteh Farahani receives Creative Excellence Award at DFI 2025
Golshifteh Farahani receives Creative Excellence Award at DFI 2025

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Festival Director and DFI CEO Fatma Hassan Alremaihi reaffirmed the festival’s mission, calling it a commitment to ensuring “every voice matters and that art will always have a home in Qatar.” She added, “As we turn a new page with the Doha Film Festival, we are ready to build a global community that comes together in dialogue to shape a shared future rooted in purpose and possibility.”

Running from November 20 to 28, DFF 2025 features 97 films from 62 countries, including four world premieres and 49 Middle East–North Africa premieres. Among the international guests expected this year are Steven Soderbergh, Ramy Youssef, Michaela Coel, Mo Amer, Jamal Soliman, and Elia Suleiman, among others.

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