Oscar nod for the film, but one star will be missing

The Voice of Hind Rajab, Kaouther Ben Hania’s docudrama, is up for best international feature at the Academy Awards. The movie is getting its moment, but not everyone involved can make the trip to Los Angeles.

Why the actor will not be on the red carpet

Actor Motaz Malhees, who portrays a call center operator trying to rescue a 5-year-old girl, Hind Rajab, trapped in a car under fire in Gaza, revealed he cannot travel to the United States because he holds a Palestinian Authority passport.

Malhees wrote on social media that he had the honor of playing one of the lead roles in a story the world needed to hear, but he will not be at the Oscars. He added, "You can block a passport. You cannot block a voice." He said it hurts, but that he stands with pride and dignity and that his spirit will be with the film the night of the ceremony.

The policy behind the absence

In December, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a ban on entry for holders of Palestinian Authority passports. The policy also affects passport holders from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria. Because of that restriction, Malhees is barred from entering the United States.

The film’s director, Kaouther Ben Hania, who is Tunisian, should be able to attend the awards.

Family and producers watching from abroad

Hind Rajab’s mother, Wissam Hamada, who attended the BAFTA Film Awards, also cannot enter the United States. She and her family will watch the Oscars from Greece, where they were granted asylum after evacuation help from the film’s executive producer, Amed Khan.

Producer Odessa Rae told the press they explored legal options and were told the only way to get Hamada in would be if Senator Marco Rubio signed an entry permit himself.

Who the film is up against

The Voice of Hind Rajab is nominated for best international feature alongside:

  • Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident
  • Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent
  • Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value
  • Oliver Laxe’s Sirât

Malhees may not walk the red carpet, but he and the family connected to the film will be watching, and the film will be heard. That, he says, is what matters.