Kaouther Ben Hania

Kaouther Ben Hania, also written Kaouther Ben Henia or Kaouther Benhenia , is a Tunisian filmmaker.

She is best known for her feature films The Man Who Sold His Skin (2020) and The Voice of Hind Rajab (2025), both of which were nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature representing Tunisia. Her documentary Four Daughters (2023) was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary.

Early life Kaouther Ben Hania was born in Sidi Bouzid. She studied at the Ecole des Arts et du Cinéma (EDAC) in Tunisia, then studied at La Fémis and the Sorbonne in Paris.

She studied from 2002 to 2004 at the Tunis School of Arts and Cinema. During this training she directed several short films, one of which, La Breche, was noticed. In 2003, she also participated in a feature film writing workshop funded by Euromed. In 2004, she continued her training at La Fémis, first at the summer university and then in 2004–2005.

In 2006, she directed another short film, Moi, ma sœur et la chose, inspired by the short story Le Jeune homme and l'enfant et la question by Mohsen Ben Hania. She then worked for Al Jazeera Documentary Channel until 2007. It was also selected as the Tunisian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards, but was not nominated. In 2018, the film was nominated for the Lumière Award for Best Francophone Film.

Her film The Man Who Sold His Skin (2020) had its world premiere in the Orizzonti section of the 77th Venice International Film Festival. It was also selected as the Tunisian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film and was nominated at the 93rd Academy Awards, making it the first Tunisian film to be nominated for the Oscars.

In 2023, her documentary Four Daughters was selected for the main competition at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the L'Œil d'or and the François Chalais Prize. At the 49th César Awards it won the César Award for Best Documentary Film. Film won Cinema for Peace Dove for Women's Empowerment. It was also nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 96th Academy Awards.

In 2025, her docudrama The Voice of Hind Rajab received a 23-minute standing ovation at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, winning the Grand Jury Prize. The film was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature at the 98th Academy Awards.

Filmography

Feature films

Documentaries

Short films

Accolades

Decoration Knight of the National Order of Merit (Tunisia, 2016)

Awards

Rencontres Films Femmes Méditerranée de Marseille 2013: Audience Award for Peau de colle Cannes Film Festival 2017: Best Sound Creation Award (initiated by La Semaine du Son and awarded for the first time) in the Un Certain Regard selection for La Belle et la Meute Festival du Cinéma Méditerranéen de Bruxelles 2017: Special Jury Prize for La Belle et la Meute Stockholm International Film Festival 2020: Best Screenplay for L'Homme qui a vendu sa peau Cannes Film Festival 2023: Citizenship Award, L'Œil d'Or (ex aequo), and Positive Cinema Award for Les Filles d'Olfa César Awards 2024: Best Documentary Film for Les Filles d'Olfa

Nominations and Selections

Cannes Film Festival 2017: In competition in the Un Certain Regard selection for La Belle et la Meute Lumière Awards 2018: Best Francophone Film for La Belle et la Meute Academy Awards 2019: Preselection to represent Tunisia for Best Foreign Language Film for La Belle et la Meute Academy Awards 2021: Selection to represent Tunisia for Best Foreign Language Film for L'Homme qui a vendu sa peau Magritte Awards 2022: Best Foreign Film in Coproduction for L'Homme qui a vendu sa peau Cannes Film Festival 2023: Official selection, in competition for the Palme d'Or for Les Filles d'Olfa