Kaouther Ben Hania’s phenomenal THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB — which received a record-breaking 20-minute standing ovation at its Venice premiere — and the Sundance premiering WHERE THE WIND COMES FROM by Amal Guellaty received glittering accolades at this year’s Cinemed Awards, held by the accredited Festival International Cinéma Méditerranéen de Montpellier.
An immensely powerful film that shook the Venice International Film Festival to its core, THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB by Oscar-nominated director Kaouther Ben Hania won Cinemed’s Audience Award for Feature Film, the Energy Social Activities Award, and a €2,000 grant.
THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB — Tunisia’s official submission for the 98th Academy Awards — is a docudrama that tells the shocking true story of a girl from Gaza who was murdered by Israeli forces. The film uses real voice recordings from the victim and Red Crescent correspondents who attempted to save her life.
Executive produced by Hollywood A-listers Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, and Alfonso Cuarón, the Tunisian-French co-production has already garnered significant acclaim in a short span of time, winning a Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize, the UNICEF Award, an Edipo Re Award, an Arca Cinema Giovani Award, as well as the CICT-UNESCO Enrico Fulchignoni Award at its Venice Film Festival premiere alone, to only name a few. It stars Palestinian actors Amer Hlehel, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees, and Saja Kilani.
The ever charming WHERE THE WIND COMES FROM by Amel Guellaty, which premiered at Sundance and has since gone on to screen in festivals far and wide, won the Cinemed JAM Award for Best Music, as well as a €1,200 cash prize.
It follows rebellious 19-year-old Alyssa and shy 23-year-old Mehdi, who dream of escaping their reality. Upon discovering a contest offering a chance to flee, they embark on a road trip to southern Tunisia, overcoming obstacles along the way.
The film recently won the El Gouna Star for Best Arabic Narrative at Egypt’s eighth El Gouna Film Festival. Its previous accolades include a Golden Bee for Best Feature Film and Best Performance at the Mediterranean Film Festival, as well as a Nakheel Award for Best Feature Film at the Toronto Arab Film Festival.
It stars Slim Baccar, Sondos Belhassen, Eya Bellagha, and Lobna Noomane; with production by Karim Aitouna and Asma Chiboub; cinematography by Frida Marzouk; a score composed by Omar Aloulou, with sound engineering by Aymen Labidi.
