Giant sand portrait of girl in Voice Of Hind Rajab created on Yorkshire beach
The film tells the story of a Palestine Red Crescent Society worker.
A giant sand portrait of the girl who is the focus of the Oscar-nominated film The Voice Of Hind Rajab has been created on a Yorkshire beach ahead of this weekend’s Academy Awards.
The film tells the story of a Palestine Red Crescent Society worker who attempts to rescue a five-year-old girl from a car being shot at by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) in Gaza City in January 2024, and has been nominated for best international film at the awards ceremony on March 15.
The work which was drawn in Cayton Bay near Scarborough shows the girl, named Hind, with the words: “I am scared. Come get me please. Listen to the voice of Hind Rajab.”
The artists behind the portrait, A Letter From Lucy, said: “Hind said that after the war she just wanted to go and play at the beach, just as any other child would want to do. But because she was born in Gaza, she was instead trapped in a car under fire by soldiers.
“The drawing is a tribute to her and encourages people to watch the film. It is uncomfortable to watch as it emotionally connects you to the desperation of a child in the Gaza conflict. The purpose is to provoke empathy which challenges our conscience.
“Not only should people watch the film so that Hind’s voice is not forgotten, but to also remember the other 20,000 children that have died during the conflict. This is their story as well as hers.”
The movie, directed by Tunisian film-maker Kaouther Ben Hania, won the Silver Lion award at the Venice Film Festival and was longlisted for the 2026 Bafta Film Awards for best director and film not in the English language.
The film is based on true events and uses the real audio from Hind Rajab’s call to the Palestine Red Crescent Society.
