Saja Kilani, a Jordanian-Palestinian-Canadian actress and Toronto Film School graduate, has spoken about her rise from graduation to the 2026 Academy Awards through her role in "The Voice of Hind Rajab". The acclaimed film, directed by Kaouther Ben Hania, dramatises the true story of a five-year-old girl trapped in a car under fire in Gaza and her desperate calls for rescue, and has drawn international attention amid awards-season recognition. Kilani's journey highlights how the film has resonated far beyond the festival circuit, bringing renewed focus to the real events it depicts.

Kilani plays Rana Faqih, the real-life Palestine Red Crescent Society volunteer who stayed on the phone with Hind during her final hours; the two have since become friends and reunited at a screening in Jordan. The film earned nominations at the Academy Awards (best international feature), Golden Globes and BAFTAs, and Kilani, 28, described attending the Oscars as a "full-circle moment" recalling a graduation cake that jokingly predicted "Next Stop: Oscars!" less than four years earlier.