# Will Trump Let This Palestinian Actor Attend the Oscars? Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31ZcZhNP5Hc Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/31ZcZhNP5Hc Generated: 2026-03-06T18:09:53.713+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Director Kaouther Ben Hania, actor Motaz Malhees, and host Mehdi discuss the intense emotional toll and the necessity of telling the true story of Hind Rajab, whose voice recording is featured in the Oscar-nominated film "Four Daughters," which blends documentary and fiction to portray the reality of life and conflict in Gaza. **Key Points:** - Kaouther Ben Hania discussed the difficulty of balancing the factual story of Hind Rajab's death with the fictional elements of "Four Daughters," noting the film is not a straight documentary. - Actor Motaz Malhees described the intense emotional experience of portraying Omar, the Red Crescent operator who spoke to Hind Rajab, stating he felt like he died a thousand times and that the role was painful but necessary. - Malhees revealed that he only felt comfortable taking the role after speaking with the real operator, Omar, and that his acting became a way to channel his own real-life anger and frustration regarding the conflict. - Director Ben Hania emphasized that the film's primary goal was to honor Hind Rajab's voice and story, not just to serve as documentary evidence, but to make the audience feel the reality of the situation. - The film intentionally blends fiction and documentary elements, using the real voice recordings of Hind and the operator to anchor the narrative. - The film is currently nominated for an Oscar and is being distributed by a major US studio, despite initial distribution challenges for Palestinian-related content. ![Screenshot at 00:05: Director Kaouther Ben Hania begins describing the process of filming "Voice of Hind Rajab," showing clips from the movie including the real voice recording of Hind Rajab.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/31ZcZhNP5Hc/00-00-05.jpg) **Context:** This video features an interview on Zeteo's Town Hall program with Kaouther Ben Hania, the director of the Oscar-nominated film "Four Daughters" (also referred to by its original title, "Voice of Hind Rajab"), and Motaz Malhees, the lead actor who portrays Omar, the Red Crescent operator who spoke with Hind Rajab on the phone just before she was killed. The discussion centers on the emotional demands of portraying such a tragic, real-life event and the director's choice to blend documentary footage with fictionalized scenes. ## Detailed Analysis The interview features director Kaouther Ben Hania and lead actor Motaz Malhees discussing their film, "Four Daughters" ("Voice of Hind Rajab"), which recounts the tragic story of 6-year-old Hind Rajab, killed in Gaza in 2024 while on a call with the Red Crescent. Ben Hania explained that she chose a hybrid narrative form, blending documentary elements (like the actual voice recording) with fictionalized scenes, because she felt a straight documentary wouldn't suffice to convey the depth of pain and anger she wanted the audience to feel. She stated that she felt compelled to tell this specific story in this way to ensure people hear the voice of Hind Rajab and understand the reality of the situation. Motaz Malhees described the intense emotional difficulty of playing Omar, the real-life operator who spoke to Hind, admitting he felt like he died a thousand times and experienced panic attacks, finding it painful but necessary to embody that role. He explained that he felt honored to tell this story and that the real audio recordings guided his performance, making the experience deeply personal and almost therapeutic for him, allowing him to process trauma he experienced growing up around violence. The film has received critical acclaim, including a Cinema for Peace award in Berlin, and is securing major US distribution, despite initial challenges, demonstrating the power of storytelling to convey these realities. ### Film Production and Artistic Choice - Ben Hania chose a hybrid fictional/documentary form to tell Hind Rajab's story - She felt a straight documentary was insufficient to convey the required emotional impact - The film uses the actual voice recording of Hind and the operator as an anchor. ### Actor's Emotional Journey - Motaz Malhees found playing Omar emotionally devastating, feeling like he died a thousand times and suffering panic attacks - He felt compelled to honor the real operator's story and voice through his acting - He stated that the film's authenticity comes from channeling real-life anger and the desire for accountability. ### Impact and Reception - The film is nominated for an Oscar and is securing distribution from a major US studio - Ben Hania noted that the film's impact is to make audiences feel the reality of the situation, not just observe it factually. ### Audience Questions - The host read questions from viewers, including one asking if the real operator, Omar, was consulted and another asking if the actors would attend the Oscars. ![Screenshot at 00:05: Director Kaouther Ben Hania begins describing the process of filming "Voice of Hind Rajab," showing clips from the movie including the real voice recording of Hind Rajab.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/31ZcZhNP5Hc/00-00-05.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:17: Actor Motaz Malhees describes the emotional toll of portraying the operator, stating he felt like he died a thousand times.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/31ZcZhNP5Hc/00-00-17.jpg) ![Screenshot at 01:03: The three participants—Mehdi \(host\), Kaouther Ben Hania \(director\), and Motaz Malhees \(actor\)—are shown together during the interview.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/31ZcZhNP5Hc/00-01-03.jpg) ![Screenshot at 01:32: A visual representation of the audio wave from Hind Rajab's call is shown with the subtitle "I'm scared."](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/31ZcZhNP5Hc/00-01-32.jpg)