Art & Culture

5 Things You Didn’t Know About Saja Kilani, Star of ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’

BYYassine Hariss

September 4, 2025

A day ago, hardly anyone knew the name Saja Kilani. But after the Venice premiere of The Voice of Hind Rajab—Kaouther Ben Hania’s latest film, in which Kilani delivers a pivotal performance—she’s suddenly the name on everyone’s lips.
At the receiving end of the festival’s longest-ever standing ovation, in the span of one night, the Jordanian-Palestinian-Canadian actress went from relative obscurity to being hailed as one of cinema’s most exciting new faces. With clips of her emotional pre-screening speech going viral alongside the film itself, she’s quickly being positioned at the powerful intersection of activism and art—a space that could shape not only her career, but also how other cultural voices use their platforms to push urgent conversations forward.

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Une publication partagée par saja سجىٰ (@sajakilani)

As Kilani carves her path toward becoming a household name, here are five things you should know about her.

She keeps her private life private

There isn’t much public information about Kilani’s personal life—not even her exact age. What we do know is that she’s under 30, thanks to her inclusion on the Canadian Arab Institute’s ‘30 Under 30’ list in 2025.

She’s a poet

Acting isn’t her only craft. Kilani is also a writer and spoken word poet, often sharing her thoughts through verses on social media. Over the years, she has performed on stage and even had some of her work published.

She sings, too

Kilani fuses music with poetry, layering instrumentals over her words. So far, she’s released one official single, TATA, which is already approaching 10,000 plays on Spotify.

She holds two degrees

Kilani holds two degrees—one in International Relations and Theatre from the University of Toronto, and another in Film/TV from the Toronto Film School.

She embraces her vitiligo

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Une publication partagée par saja سجىٰ (@sajakilani)

She has vitiligo, a skin condition that causes loss of pigment in patches. In an interview with Vogue Arabia, she recalled feeling pressured as a child to hide her skin, ashamed of its visibility. “I spent years trying to meet the beauty standard that never included me,” she said. Today, she’s reclaimed that narrative, embracing her condition as part of her identity and even releasing a poem about her journey to self-love.

5 Things You Didn’t Know About Saja Kilani, Star of ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’

She keeps her private life private

She’s a poet

She sings, too

She holds two degrees

She embraces her vitiligo

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5 Things You Didn’t Know About Saja Kilani, Star of ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’

She keeps her private life private

She’s a poet

She sings, too

She holds two degrees

She embraces her vitiligo

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