LONDON: Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania will direct a new feature dramatizing the death of Hind Rajab, the five-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza last year, a Variety report said on Wednesday.

The project, which is currently untitled, is set to be shot in Tunisia and produced by Nadim Cheikhrouha (“Four Daughters”), alongside Oscar-winning producers Odessa Rae (“Navalny”) and James Wilson (“The Zone of Interest”), with backing from Film4.

Hind Rajab’s death became a global symbol of the humanitarian toll of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.

She was one of thousands of children killed in the conflict, but her story sparked particular international outrage. In one notable protest, student demonstrators at Columbia University renamed occupied buildings in her honor.

Rajab was fleeing Gaza City with members of her family on Jan. 29, 2024, when their car came under Israeli fire, killing her uncle, aunt and three cousins.

Hind was left trapped in the vehicle for hours, speaking with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society by phone as paramedics attempted to reach her.

On Feb. 10, after Israeli forces withdrew from the area, rescuers found the bodies of Hind, the paramedics and the family still inside the vehicle.

Israel initially denied responsibility, but investigations by The Washington Post, Sky News and the research agency, Forensic Architecture, later concluded that Israeli tanks were in the vicinity and had likely fired at the car.

The same investigations indicated an Israeli tank had also targeted the ambulance sent to rescue her.

Ben Hania, one of the Arab world’s most acclaimed filmmakers, has received multiple Academy Award nominations.

Her 2017 feature, “Beauty and the Dogs,” was Tunisia’s Oscar submission, while “The Man Who Sold His Skin” (2020) was nominated for best international feature.

Her latest film, “Four Daughters,” was nominated for best documentary feature at the 2024 Oscars.

DUBAI: The Sultanate of Oman has marked its debut at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia with a thought-provoking pavilion titled “Traces,” curated by Omani architect Majeda Alhinai.

Drawing inspiration from the Sablah — Oman’s traditional communal gathering space — the pavilion reimagines this architectural concept as a modern civic space, rooted in cultural continuity and adaptive design.

Unlike conventional references, the Sablah in “Traces” functions as an architectural method, not merely an aesthetic reference. Its open circulation, shared presence and adaptability are reinterpreted for contemporary public life.

It proposes a new civic space that remains culturally specific while addressing global concerns of collectivity, sustainability and architectural responsibility.

The pavilion’s structure is built entirely from raw aluminum, utilizing a custom system of folded and cut panels.

Each panel is precision-cut with patterns inspired by Omani cultural practices — palm frond weaving, carved wooden doors, and the Falaj irrigation system.

One of the pavilion’s standout features is its commitment to sustainability and reuse. The entire assembly is designed for easy disassembly and transportation, ensuring no material loss.

Following the Biennale, the structure will be permanently installed in Oman, maintaining its scale and purpose as a civic gathering space.

Curator Majeda Alhinai said: “The pavilion is not a symbol of tradition. It is a working model for how civic space can be reimagined through inherited systems of making, maintenance, and adaptation.”

The Omani pavilion opened on May 10 and will be at the venue until Nov. 23.