The killing of Hind Rajab, the 5-year-old Palestinian girl who was left stranded in a car that had been attacked by Israeli forces in Gaza on Jan. 29 2024 and later found dead, is being made into a drama by Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania, Variety has learned.
The under-the-radar project, shot in a location in Tunisia, is being produced by Nadim Cheikhrouha (“Four Daughters”) alongside Oscar winners Odessa Rae (“Navalny“) and James Wilson (“The Zone of Interest“). The film — currently simply known as “Untitled Kaouther Ben Hania Project” — is backed by Film4.
The death of Rajab, while one of thousands of children killed in Gaza since Israeli launched its military offensive following the terror attacks by Hamas on Oct. 7 2023, sparked global condemnation, with student protestors at Columbia University renaming overtaken buildings in honor of the victim.
Rajab and her family had been fleeing Gaza City when their vehicle was shelled, killing her uncle, aunt and three cousins. Rajab was left stranded in the vehicle for hours while on the phone to the Palestinian Red Cross Society as paramedics attempted to rescue her. When the car was eventually reached, both Rajab and the paramedics were found dead on Feb. 10 following an Israeli withdrawal.
Israeli denials that they carried out the attack were later refuted by investigations by The Washington Post and Sky News. Using satellite imagery and visual evidence, they concluded that a number of Israeli tanks were present and one had likely fired 335 rounds on the car that Rajab and her family had been travelling in. The Forensic Architecture investigation also concluded that an Israeli tank had likely attacked the ambulance that was sent to rescue Rajab.
One of the most prominent filmmakers from the Middle East, Ben Hania is best known for the 2017’s “Beauty and the Dogs,” which was selected as the Tunisian entry for the Academy Awards, the 2020 feature “The Man Who Sold His Skin,” which was nominated for the best international feature film Oscar and her 2024 film “Four Daughters,” which was nominated for the best documentary feature Oscar.
