In an extraordinary moment for Arab filmmaking, four Arab-affiliated films – each a bold, distinct work of cinema – are in contention for a nomination at the 98th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. This year’s international race has been notably competitive, and this quartet of films – spanning Iraq, Tunisia, Palestine and Jordan – reflects a surge in global recognition for Arab storytelling, especially from Arab female directors and films centring Palestinian narratives.
The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia) – Kaouther Ben Hania
Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania has rapidly emerged as one of the most urgent cinematic voices of the moment. The Voice of Hind Rajab dramatises the harrowing final hours of five-year-old Hind Rajab in Gaza, trapped in a car with her deceased family after an attack, sustained only by her voice through real emergency call recordings. The story, derived from an actual event, intertwines documentary elements with dramatic narrative — a fusion that humanises the tragedy and gives viewers an intimate, almost unbearable closeness to the lived experience of conflict.
This film premiered at the Venice Film Festival, winning the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize, and represents Tunisia in the Oscars race — marking another high point in Ben Hania’s career. Prominent figures in global cinema including Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Alfonso Cuarón and Jonathan Glazer joined as executive producers, underscoring the film’s international resonance.
Palestine 36 (Palestine) — Annemarie Jacir
