Motaz Malhees, a talented Palestinian actor, finds himself unable to attend the Oscars this year, despite his poignant film ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ receiving a nomination. Denied entry into the US, he reflects on the emotional weight of the project, which vividly captures the harrowing last moments of a young girl in Gaza.
Palestinian actor Motaz Malhees says he will not attend the Oscars even though his film, ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’, is nominated for an Academy Award. In an Instagram statement shared the night before his interview, the London-based actor said he 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 already sparked global discussion for its subject and its timing.
‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ Oscar nomination
According to Esquire, Malhees shared this message on Instagram: “Three days left to the Oscars. Our film, ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’, is nominated for an Academy Award. I had the honour of playing one of the lead roles in a story the world needed to hear. But I will not be there.” Directed by Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania, the film is a hybrid documentary-fiction feature that dramatizes the final hours before six-year-old Hind Rami Iyad Rajab was killed while fleeing Gaza City with her family. Malhees plays Omar Alqam, the emergency operator who answered Hind’s call.
Motaz Malhees on playing Omar Alqam
Malhees said he first felt uneasy about joining a film tied so closely to events still unfolding in Gaza. He recalled thinking, “Is that normal? Is it fine to really make a movie about the 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 was insisting on doing everything to be there.” The actor also described the emotional weight of speaking with the real Omar Alqam. “It was scary and heavy to talk to him because he’s part of the story,” Malhees said. He added that Alqam later shared intimate details so the role could feel true on screen. “He told me about every moment, every second in that day.”The film has drawn strong attention since its Venice Film Festival debut, where the provided material says it received a 23-minute standing ovation and won the Grand Jury Prize. Malhees said he hopes the movie pushes audiences beyond applause and toward awareness. Its Oscar nomination has now widened that conversation, while his absence from the ceremony underscores the political reality surrounding the story it tells.
