In many places in the world, things aren’t safe. The services we take for granted—like the ability to call for help when needed—aren’t available for all. In many places the fight for survival takes all that they have. And sometimes, it’s a losing battle.

That’s a cost that weighs of families and those that live in those areas. But it also takes a toll on those called to stand in the gap and try to offer help. The Voice of Hind Rajab, the Official Entry from Tunisia, is one such story. And it’s one what will leave you rightly shaken.

The film takes place on January 29, 2024. We go to the offices of The Red Crescent, emergency response callers who are taking calls for help from war-torn Gaza. It’s their job to take the calls, then coordinate with other agencies to try and get those on the other line help. It’s a painful and dangerous process that takes a toll on those taking calls.

Omar (Motaz Malhees) is working the phones. He gets a call from a young girl, Hind Rajab, who was traveling with her aunt, uncle, and cousins. She’s trying to get home when their vehicle comes under fire. Her family is dead. Her car is disabled. She’s pinned down and in need of help. Omar does his best to keep contact and initiate the process.

Though some potential rescuers are just eight minutes away, the hours pass as the machine tries to secure permission from the Israeli Army for them to safely get to Hind Rajab. Meanwhile Omar and his colleagues (Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, and Amer Hlehel) try to keep her calm, learn what they can, and effect a rescue before it’s too late.

This is a real story. Hind Rajab is a real girl, and this really happened. This isn’t a theoretical exercise, it’s history. And to that end, writer/director Kaouther Ben Hania incorporates the real calls from Hind Rajab. We are hearing her voice, the raw emotion, and the fear as she pleas for someone to come and rescue her.

Like so many stories from this region the past few years, this isn’t a happy story. Nor is it an easy story to watch unfold. It’s only 89-minutes, but they are some tense and often fraught minutes. You’ll be moved and shaken as the story unfolds—just as those who took the call are moved and shaken by the experience.

This is a powerful and unforgettable film. It’s also a door that opens to some of the struggles going on around the world that we don’t hear about every day. It’s well worth seeking out and makes for one of the Best International Features, and best films I’ve seen in 2025.

The Voice of Hind Rajab opens in limited release on Wednesday, December 17.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.