Venice 2025: ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ gets 23-minute ovation
The harrowing true story film, The Voice of Hind Rajab, received a 23-minute standing ovation following its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, making it the longest any movie has been given at the festival so far.
The movie follows the real story of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed by Israeli forces during her attempted rescue by the Palestinian Red Crescent from the wreckage of a car, in which she was the only surviving passenger out of her uncle and young cousins.
It uses the real phone call Rajab made to the organisation to attempt to facilitate her rescue, alongside a reconstruction of the effort to save her. Subsequently, the power of the film left vast numbers of the audience and critics in tears, following its premiere on September 3rd in Italy.
Speaking of the impact of the film, director Kaouther Ben Hania said, “When I first heard the voice of Hind Rajab, there was something beyond her words. It was the voice of Gaza itself calling for help – and no one could reach her.”
To this end, the film also has a set of star-studded Hollywood executive producers, including Brad Pitt and Joaquin Phoenix, the latter of whom was in attendance at the premiere and seen hugging the cast.
When asked about the effect that such figures providing backing to the film has, Ben Hania responded: “The fact that all those names joined the movie means something. We’ve seen the narrative all around the world that those dying in Gaza are collateral damage and I think this is so dehumanizing.”
She added: “That’s why cinema, art and every kind of expression is very important to give those people a voice and a face.”
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