Venice Premiere Draws Historic Ovation
On 3 September 2025, the film The Voice of Hind Rajab premiered at the 82nd Venice Film Festival, receiving a standing ovation that lasted more than 23 minutes—the longest in the festival’s history.
Audiences waved Palestinian flags and chanted “Free, Free Palestine,” moved by the story of a five-year-old Gaza girl killed during the genocide by Israel on Gaza.
A Film Centered on Human Suffering
The film draws on real audio from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. Rajab’s final moments were recorded as she pleaded for help while trapped in a car where her relatives were killed.
The film recounts how emergency responders were delayed for hours and could not reach her in time, highlighting the human cost of the genocide in Gaza.
Hollywood A-List Supports the Premiere
Director Kaouther Ben Hania appeared at the screening with actors Motaz Malhees and Clara Khoury. Executive producers Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Alfonso Cuarón, and Jonathan Glazer also attended, holding a framed portrait of Hind Rajab on the red carpet. Their presence amplified the global attention on the story.
Ben Hania emphasized the film’s mission to humanize victims. She said cinema can preserve voices that would otherwise be silenced, and it captures grief that news headlines often fail to convey.
“I cannot accept a world where a child calls for help and no one comes,” she said.
Investigations Support the Narrative
Al Jazeera’s Fault Lines, along with independent groups Forensic Architecture and Earshot, reported that Rajab’s car was fired upon from 13 to 23 metres.
A United Nations report confirmed the use of weapons attributable to Israeli forces. The Israeli military maintains the incident is under review.
Family Perspective and Wider Significance
Rajab’s mother, Wissam Hamada, expressed hope that the film will shed light on the suffering in Gaza and encourage action. The story resonates beyond Gaza, highlighting the universal consequences of violence and the importance of documenting human rights abuses.
The Voice of Hind Rajab preserves a moment of historical significance, combining real recordings with narrative storytelling. By doing so, it fosters dialogue on accountability and the humanitarian cost of targeted attacks, emphasizing the global relevance of the story.
Next Steps
After Venice, the film will make its North American debut at the Toronto International Film Festival.
With its combination of investigative depth, emotional storytelling, and Hollywood support, the film ensures that Hind Rajab’s voice reaches audiences worldwide.
Watch videos here:
@thenationalnews At the Venice Film Festival, a new film revisits the last moments of Hind Rajab, a 5-year-old Palestinian girl injured and trapped in a car with dead relatives as Israeli forces surrounded them in Gaza. The National spoke to the Red Crescent first responder who stayed on the line with her before she was killed.
@ajplus “You say you care about starving people? You say you wanna stop the war? Do something.” U.S. actor Mark Ruffalo condemned Western leaders for allowing Israel to starve Palestinians in Gaza, where at least 313 people have already died from Israel’s human-made famine. #GazaFamine #GazaStarvation #Israel #MarkRuffalo #Palestine
♬ 3 minutes, quiet, meditation, yoga, ambient(1155101) – Gloveity
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