Palestinian actor Motaz Malhees says he will not attend the Oscars despite his film, ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’, being nominated for an Oscar. In an Instagram statement she shared the night before the interview, the London-based actress said she “is not allowed to enter the United States because of my Palestinian citizenship.His absence has added another layer of attention to a film that has sparked global debate about its subject and timing.
‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ Oscar nomination
According to Esquire, Malhees shared this message on Instagram: “The Oscars are three days away. Our film, ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab,’ is nominated for an Oscar. I was honored to play one of the lead roles in a story the world needed to hear. But I won’t be there.” Directed by Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania, the film is a documentary-fiction hybrid film that depicts the hours before six-year-old Hind Rami Iyad Rajab is killed along with his family while fleeing Gaza City. Malhees plays Omar Alqam, the emergency operator who answered Hind’s call.
Motaz Malhees about playing Omar Alqam
Malhees said he first felt uneasy about joining a film so closely tied to the still-unfolding events in Gaza. He recalled: “Is that normal? Is it really okay to make a movie about genocide while it’s still happening? I don’t want to disrespect the people there, disrespect my culture.” But after reading the script, he said, “I insisted on doing everything to be there.”The actor also described the emotional weight of talking to the real Omar Alqam. “It was scary and heavy to talk to him because he’s part of the story,” Malhees said. Later, Alqam added that he shared intimate details to make the role come true on screen. “He told me every moment, every second that day.”The film has received a lot of attention since its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, where the footage says it received a 23-minute standing ovation and won the Grand Jury Prize. Malhees said he hopes the film will push viewers beyond claptrap and into awareness. His Oscar nomination has now broadened that conversation, while his absence from the ceremony underscores the political reality surrounding the story he tells.
