Two important events took place in the last couple of weeks that have a direct relation to Arab cinema. The first is the phenomenal reception that the film ‘The voice of Hind Rajab’ got in the Venice and Toronto film festivals and the second is the passing of renowned film-maker Robert Redford.
The first is not a surprise. ‘The voice of Hind Rajab’ portrays the harrowing tale of 6-year-old Hind who was trapped in a car with her family in Gaza, all of whom were killed by the IDF, along with the first responders who tried to access the car. The film was made by acclaimed Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania who was also nominated for an academy award in 2021 and 2024.
The film is due to be showcased in other film festivals, including London and Cairo.
But this film is only a series of powerful films emerging from the Arab world which have increasingly won international recognition, becoming part of essential viewing for a global audience.
Right from the ‘golden age’ of Egyptian cinema, Arab cinematographers have been showcasing their skill and passion in creating a variety of films. These include social dramas and moving tales of individual trauma. After the 2010s, Arab cinema ventured into other genres like science fiction and fantasy.
Most importantly, Arab cinema makers have successfully projected their work beyond western stereotypes of Oriental life and culture
We do have the late Robert Redford to thank for this, to an extent. Redford has a lesser-known connection to the Arab film world. His Sundance Institute has long encouraged and facilitated the meeting of young creators in screenwriters’ labs and commissioned a variety of films by Arab film-makers.
This journey culminated in Cherien Dabis’ ‘All that’s left of you’ which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2025. Nominated for many awards this season, the film recounts the multiple displacements of a Palestinian family which lost all its orchards in 1948.
This was one of the last of Redford’s international collaborations.
The Sundance Institute, founded by Redford in 1981, became a crucial door for Arab directors. The lab often paired regional writers with international mentors and created the infrastructure that linked Arab film-makers to Hollywood.
The institute also gave much-needed finance to North African and Arab film makers, both individuals and organisations.
Redford’s institute helped Arab cinema in multiple ways. Not only did it fund specific projects, but as a whole, it helped to focus on telling real-world stories from the Arab world, not just using it as a backdrop for suffering. It also helped Arab film makers to use their own words and pictures to build their narrative.
The director and activist himself justified the motivation behind the Sundance project by saying that he was on a “lifelong quest for truth and freedom”.
Redford’s contribution has been recognised by the Arab film world as well. He was awarded a lifetime achievement award at the Marrakesh International Film Festival in 2019.
Sandhya Rao Mehta
Associate Professor, Sultan Qaboos University
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