Tunisian Filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania refuses to accept the “Most Valuable Film” award at Berlin’s Cinema for Peace gala
The Cinema for Peace gala in Berlin is usually all glitz, smiles, and applause, but this year, Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania turned the night upside down. She refused the “Most Valuable Film” award for her documentary, The Voice of Hind Rajab. People didn’t see it coming. The room, full of people who love to celebrate the power of film, suddenly had to reckon with something much heavier.
Ben Hania’s film centers on the heartbreaking story of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza in January 2024. News reports say Hind was trapped in her family’s car after Israeli soldiers opened fire, and rescue attempts just led to more violence. For nearly two weeks, nobody knew what happened to her. When her body was finally found, the world’s attention snapped to the loss, the cruelty, and the helplessness of civilians caught up in the conflict. Ben Hania’s film doesn’t just recount the facts—it refuses to let the world turn Hind into another number.
But back to Berlin. When Ben Hania stepped on stage, she didn’t thank the organizers or bask in the honor. She explained that she couldn’t accept an award at the same event where an Israeli general was being recognized. For her, the evening wasn’t about celebration anymore. It was about responsibility. She spoke about justice, insisting that without accountability, peace is just an empty word. She called out governments and institutions for looking the other way, for calling civilian deaths “self-defense” or blaming “complex circumstances.” Walking away from the trophy wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment thing—it was her way of demanding that recognition mean something more.
Ben Hania made it clear: she wasn’t going to let the deaths of Hind, her family, and even the paramedics who tried to save her, become the backdrop for another polite speech about peace. Real peace, she said, takes real accountability. Until that happens, awards and ceremonies just feel hollow.
Her words hit a nerve. People talked about her decision all over social media and in the press. Some called her brave; others questioned whether it was right to bring politics into an arts event. But nobody could deny that the moment forced everyone to reflect on what cinema can do—how it can advocate, provoke, and hold up a mirror to society.
That night in Berlin, film wasn’t just about storytelling; it was about conscience. By leaving the trophy behind, Ben Hania reminded everyone that filmmakers, especially those telling stories of conflict, have a duty. It’s not enough to collect awards if the bigger issue—what allowed tragedies like Hind Rajab’s death to happen—goes unaddressed.
In the end, the Kaouther Ben Hania Berlin Award Refusal wasn’t just a headline. It was a turning point, a protest, and a reminder that sometimes, holding fast to your principles matters more than any accolade. Now, instead of fading away in the background of a glamorous ceremony, Hind Rajab’s story is front and center—forcing a global conversation about justice, accountability, and what peace really means.
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