Kaouther Ben Hania has established herself as one of the most distinctive voices in Arab cinema, blending documentary realism with bold narrative experimentation.
In doing so, she continues the legacy of pioneering Tunisian filmmakers such as Nouri Bouzid, whose taboo-breaking stories dissected identity and repression; Moufida Tlatli, who brought women’s perspectives to global attention; and Ferid Boughedir, whose celebrated works shaped both Tunisian cinema and African film studies.
Here, we trace Ben Hania's career from early shorts to Oscar recognition – culminating in her latest work, The Voice of Hind Rajab.
2010-2016: Shorts and documentaries
Ben Hania began with short films and documentaries that revealed her interest in social critique. Her debut, Me, My Sister and the Thing (2006), was a modest but personal introduction. She followed it with Imams Go to School (2010), a documentary probing secularism and religion in France, showing her determination to explore identity, faith and society.
Her reputation grew with The Blade of Tunis (2013), a hybrid of documentary and fiction inspired by an urban legend about a motorcyclist attacking women in the streets of Tunis. It had its premiere at Dubai International Film Festival and later travelled worldwide.
In 2016, she unveiled Zaineb Hates the Snow, a deeply personal documentary filmed over six years. Following a Tunisian girl’s move to Canada after her mother’s remarriage, the film earned acclaim at Locarno Film Festival, won the Golden Tanit at Carthage and the Best Documentary award at Cinemed Montpellier. The project cemented Ben Hania’s ability to craft emotionally resonant, long-form storytelling.
2017: Beauty and the Dogs
Ben Hania’s international breakthrough came with Beauty and the Dogs. The film dramatises the true story of a young Tunisian woman raped by police officers and her desperate search for justice in the aftermath. Structured in nine long takes, the film immerses viewers in her trauma while exposing institutional violence.
The film had its premiere in Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard in 2017, and was widely praised for its bold formal style and unflinching politics. It later screened at Toronto and BFI London, and was submitted as Tunisia’s entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards – a sign of the recognition to come.
2020: The Man Who Sold His Skin
With The Man Who Sold His Skin, Ben Hania became a global name. The story follows Sam Ali, a Syrian refugee who allows a contemporary artist to tattoo a Schengen visa on his back in exchange for freedom of movement. Inspired by Belgian artist Wim Delvoye, the film interrogates borders, exploitation and the commodification of human life.
The film has its premiere in Venice’s Horizons section, and earned Yahya Mahayni the Best Actor award. It later screened at Toronto and secured Tunisia’s Oscar submission, going on to earn a nomination for Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards. Ben Hania became only the second Tunisian filmmaker to reach the final five, bringing international attention to her national cinema.
2023: Four Daughters
Ben Hania’s next project blurred fiction and documentary even further. Four Daughters reconstructs the life of Olfa, a Tunisian mother whose two eldest daughters join extremist groups in Libya. Mixing professional actresses with Olfa and her remaining daughters, the film interrogates trauma, memory and performance.
The film had its premiere in Competition at Cannes in 2023, receiving a standing ovation and winning the L’Oeil d’Or for Best Documentary. Further recognition followed at Munich, the Red Sea International Film Festival and beyond. At the 96th Academy Awards, the film made history: Ben Hania became the first Arab woman filmmaker to be nominated in two categories: Best International Feature and Best Documentary Feature.
Speaking to The National at the time, she explained: “I was fascinated by the story of Olfa. In cinema, we love people with contradictions, people with flaws. And I thought it was about time to do something about a mother-daughter relationship and the inheritance of trauma.”
2025: The Voice of Hind Rajab
Ben Hania's latest film tackles one of many tragic events of the Gaza war: the final hours of five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab, who was trapped in a car under fire while communicating with Red Crescent volunteers. Combining documentary audio recordings with staged sequences, the film honours Hind’s memory while exposing the brutality of war.
The Voice of Hind Rajab has drawn major international attention, in part due to its high-profile producers including Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Jonathan Glazer and Alfonso Cuaron. It has its premiere in Competition at Venice International Film Festival, contending for the Golden Lion, before its North American debut at Toronto International Film Festival.
Produced by Pitt’s Plan B, Saudi giant MBC and the UK’s Film4, the film also lists producer Jemima Khan, jewellery designer Sabine Getty and Lionsgate founder Frank Giustra in its credits. Tunisia has already chosen the film as its official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards, taking place next March – cementing Ben Hania’s position as a leading figure in both Arab and international cinema.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ENGLAND SQUAD
Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Book%20Details
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MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Ukraine 2 (Yaremchuk 06', Yarmolenko 27')
Portugal 1 (Ronaldo 72' pen)
Genesis G80 2020 5.0-litre Royal Specs
Engine: 5-litre V8
Gearbox: eight-speed automatic
Power: 420hp
Torque: 505Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.4L/100km
Price: Dh260,500
Opening Rugby Championship fixtures:Games can be watched on OSN Sports
Saturday: Australia v New Zealand, Sydney, 1pm (UAE)
Sunday: South Africa v Argentina, Port Elizabeth, 11pm (UAE)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
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Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Bombshell
Director: Jay Roach
Stars: Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie
Four out of five stars
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
How to help
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
2252 - Dh50
6025 - Dh20
6027 - Dh100
6026 - Dh200
The years Ramadan fell in May
