Close your eyes Hind | Klaudia Schenkels

Close Your Eyes Hind (2025) is an award-winning short film based on the true story of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed while trapped in a car during the conflict in Gaza. Told from an intimate and confined perspective, the film captures her final moments of fear, hope, and isolation, creating a deeply emotional and human portrayal of the cost of war.

As a Production Designer, I was responsible for creating a highly realistic and immersive environment, translating this real-life tragedy into a carefully constructed studio setting. Working with virtual production techniques, I combined a physical car interior and detailed set dressing with digitally generated surroundings, seamlessly blending practical and virtual elements. My work focused on achieving authenticity in texture, scale, and atmosphere, helping to create a believable and lived-in space that supports the emotional weight of the story while maintaining a respectful and grounded visual approach.

The film was developed with aproval of Hind Rajab’s mother and family, ensuring a respectful and authentic representation of her story. Close Your Eyes Hind received the prestigious Golden Calf award and went on to win multiple additional prizes. Following its national recognition, Al Jazeera joined as a co-producer, after which the film was exclusively available on their platform for one month, where it became the most-watched film during that period. The film later premiered internationally in Egypt at the El Gouna Film Festival, further expanding its global reach and impact.

The film’s trailer has reached millions of viewers across social media platforms, reflecting its strong resonance with audiences worldwide and further amplifying its message beyond the festival circuit.

I remain actively involved in supporting the film’s mission, using it as a means to raise awareness about the ongoing situation in Gaza and to give a human face to the victims of conflict, ensuring that stories like Hind’s are not reduced to numbers but remembered as lived experiences.

Watch it on : Close your eyes Hind | NPO Start

|Credits|

|Selected | (outside the private screenings)

Nederlands Film Festival (Netherlands)

Elgouna Film Festival (Egypt)

Dag van de korte film (Netherlands)

Vers film festival (Netherlands)

Balinale- Bali international film festival ( Indonesia)

Les Nuits en Or 2026 ( France)

Durban international film fest /DIFF( South Africa)

more coming soon!

|Awards/nominations|