Kaouther Ben Hania Argues That All Filmmaking Is Inherently Political

At the 2026 SXSW London festival, acclaimed Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania challenged the industry’s tendency to categorize only certain films as political. Addressing the recent controversy surrounding the Berlin Film Festival jury’s reluctance to engage with political discourse, Ben Hania asserted that every creative decision—from camera placement to character development—is an inherently political act. She argued that the act of choosing what to show and what to exclude creates a hierarchy of visibility that defines the filmmaker's perspective.

This philosophy is central to her latest work, *The Voice of Hind Rajab*, a scripted drama centered on the death of a six-year-old Palestinian girl. Ben Hania faced scrutiny for choosing a narrative format over a documentary approach. She explained that this decision was a deliberate form of resistance against the expectation that stories from the Global South must serve as evidence of trauma. By opting for fiction, she aimed to grant Palestinian subjects the agency to exist as complex characters rather than mere victims, echoing Jean-Luc Godard’s critique that marginalized groups are often denied the privilege of myth-making.

Ben Hania’s insights highlight a growing tension in global cinema regarding the 'politics of representation.' Alongside producer Nadim Cheikhrouha, she addressed the pressure to create stories that resonate with Western audiences while maintaining authenticity. For filmmakers, this discourse underscores the importance of intentionality; Ben Hania’s stance serves as a reminder that even in the absence of explicit political themes, the act of storytelling is never neutral. Her work continues to push the boundaries of how international audiences consume narratives of conflict and identity.