A shocking film about a five-year-old girl killed by Israeli forces in Gaza last year received a record-breaking 23-minute standing ovation after its premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday.
“The Voice of Hind Rajab,” directed by Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania, has been described by critics as “the most powerful and urgent material of this edition.” The film moved most of the audience and many journalists to tears during its first screening.
The story of Hind Rajab
The film reconstructs the last and desperate phone call of little Hind Rajab, who in January 2024 was trapped in the wreckage of a car in northern Gaza, surrounded by the lifeless bodies of her uncles and four young cousins.
Hiding under a seat and the only survivor, Hind managed to contact the Palestine Red Crescent Society by phone. However, the girl and the doctors who were trying to save her were killed by Israeli forces.
Reports confirmed that an Israeli tank fired 335 shots at the vehicle. The Israeli military, however, has not yet announced an official investigation into the incident.
Director Kaouther Ben Hania said:
"When I first heard Hind Rajab's voice, I felt something beyond her words. It was the voice of Gaza itself, calling for help, and no one was able to hear it."
The film uses real recordings of Hind's phone call, but tells the story through a Red Crescent team trying to coordinate her rescue.
Actors and crew
In a statement on behalf of the entire film crew, actress Saja Kilani said:
“Hind Rajab’s voice does not need our protection. This film is not opinion or fantasy. It is rooted in truth. Hind’s story carries the weight of an entire people, it is not just hers. Her voice is one of the 19,000 children who lost their lives in Gaza in the last two years alone.”
The actors and crew emphasized that behind every number lies a story that was never told.
Palestinian actor Motaz Malhees said:
“When I was 10 years old, I lived this reality. Hearing Hind's voice immediately brought me back to my childhood. I felt like I was dying a thousand times. It wasn't acting. It was my life.”
Hindi's mother, Wissam Hamada, expressed hope that the film will help end the war: "The whole world has left us to die, to starve, to live in fear and to be forcibly displaced, without doing anything," she told AFP from Gaza City, where she lives with her five-year-old son.
Support from Hollywood stars
Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara and Brad Pitt, all executive producers of the film, attended the premiere and posed on the red carpet with a photo of Hind Rajab in their hands.
Reception and evaluations
The film currently has a 9.4 rating on IMDb and has become one of the most talked-about works of the festival, taking its place in both cinematic and political history.
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