DUBAI: Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania was among the nominees for the 98th Academy Awards who attended the star-studded pre-Oscars lunch for the annual class photo on Tuesday.
Other attendees at the event included celebrities Teyana Taylor, Leonardo DiCaprio, Timothee Chalamet, Jessie Buckley, Michael B. Jordan, Amy Madigan, Emma Stone, Elle Fanning, Chloé Zhao, Jacob Elordi, Rose Byrne, Yorgos Lanthimos, Wagner Moura, and Kate Hudson.
Ben Hania’s “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” a film inspired by the final moments of a young Palestinian girl killed by Israeli soldiers in Gaza, has been nominated for an Oscar in the best international feature film category.
The film, backed by Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Fund, tells the story of Hind Rajab Hamada, 6, who was fleeing the Israeli military in Gaza City with six relatives last year when their car came under fire.
The sole survivor of the Israeli attack was then also shot and killed. Her desperate calls recorded with the Red Crescent rescue service caused international outrage against Israel.
The movie has several famous names attached as executive producers, including actors Joaquin Phoenix and Brad Pitt, and Oscar-winning directors Jonathan Glazer (“The Zone of Interest”) and Mexico’s Alfonso Cuaron (“Roma”).
The film premiered in September 2025 at the Venice International Film Festival, where it quickly became one of the most talked-about entries. Days later, “The Voice of Hind Rajab” was awarded the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize, the festival’s second-highest honor.
