Venice Film Festival recap: Should Gaza drama have won Golden Lion instead?

The recently concluded Venice Film Festival left audiences buzzing, not just with dazzling premieres and celebrity sightings, but with a significant debate: should the powerful docudrama "The Voice of Hind Rajab" have claimed the coveted Golden Lion over Jim Jarmusch's "Father Mother Sister Brother"?

While Jarmusch's film, a charming triptych exploring adult child-parent relationships, offered a lighter touch, Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania's "The Voice of Hind Rajab" delivered a gripping and profoundly emotional experience. Many argue this audacious piece, awarded the Grand Jury Prize, was truly deserving of the festival's top honor.

The film's impact stems from its harrowing true story. It utilizes actual audio recordings of Hind Rajab, a five or six-year-old Palestinian girl, trapped for hours in a car in Gaza. Her family members lay deceased around her after an Israeli Defense Force (IDF) tank fired upon their vehicle, leaving her desperately pleading for rescue with Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) call center staff.

As the young girl's terrified screams, "It will be dark soon. I'm scared!" echoed through the recording, the film meticulously reenacted the frantic efforts by PRCS staff to dispatch an ambulance amidst ongoing firing. Tragically, after hours of tense negotiation and finally gaining clearance from the Israeli military, the ambulance carrying two paramedics was also hit, resulting in the deaths of Hind and her would-be rescuers.

Such was the film's raw power that, at its screening, the credits rolled to a sustained, 23-minute standing ovation—one of the longest in La Biennale's history—leaving many audience members in tears and a somber mood. This provocative work is set to represent Tunisia in the upcoming Oscars' Best International Feature Film race.

Meanwhile, Jim Jarmusch's "Father Mother Sister Brother" showcased his characteristic cool and idiosyncratic style. This trilogy presented three unrelated stories across the northeast US, Dublin, and Paris, featuring stars like Tom Waits, Adam Driver, and a "quietly wonderful" Charlotte Rampling. Jarmusch subtly wove in recurring whimsical quips like "Bob's your uncle" and superstitions about toasting with water.

Addressing the contentious Golden Lion decision, jury head Alexander Payne tactfully explained the choice, emphasizing the jury's equal appreciation for both films. He stated that the decision was infinitesimally close, acknowledging that a vote on a different day might have yielded a different result. Payne also debunked rumors of a juror threatening to quit, urging caution against believing everything read online, despite the notable presence of Brazilian Oscar nominee Fernanda Torres at the closing ceremonies.

Beyond the top prizes, other films and performances sparked discussions. Park Chan-wook's "No Other Choice" was lauded by many festivalgoers but, to the jury's regret, didn't make it into the final eight. Similarly, favored acting turns by Valeria Bruni Tedeschi in "Duse" and Lee Byung-hun in "No Other Choice" were passed over, with the Volpi Cups for Best Actor and Actress going to Toni Servillo for "La Grazia" and Xin Zhilei for "The Sun Rises on Us All."

The general atmosphere on Lido Island saw the usual ritual of standing ovations at premieres, though their duration often signals true audience sentiment. While "The Voice of Hind Rajab" garnered tears, the premiere of Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt's wrestling drama, "The Smashing Machine," was marked by a distinctive chuckle of appreciation from Seth Rogen, who enthusiastically documented the moment with his cameras as Dwayne Johnson became visibly emotional.

It turns out Seth Rogen and co-creator Evan Goldberg were in Venice for a practical purpose: researching film festivals for an upcoming season two episode of their acclaimed Apple TV+ series, "The Studio." Rogen also captured the applause for Sofia Coppola's documentary, "Marc by Sofia," celebrating the collaboration between the filmmaker and designer Marc Jacobs, while Benny Safdie, "The Smashing Machine" filmmaker and long-time friend of Rogen, clinched best director honors.

Another deeply resonant moment unfolded at the premiere of Guillermo del Toro's epic "Frankenstein." The prolonged applause visibly moved Jacob Elordi, whose portrayal of The Creature, plaintively calling out to Dr. Viktor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac), embodied the profound emotional depth del Toro aimed to achieve, transcending mere visual spectacle.

The festival also delivered exciting appearances and cinematic treats. Oscar Isaac, a prominent figure this year, starred in Julian Schnabel's "In the Hand of Dante," playing dual roles as Dante Alighieri and a fictionalized Nick Tosches. The film, which explores the intriguing premise of a lost "Divine Comedy" manuscript falling into mob hands, boasted memorable cameos from Al Pacino as an uncle and a nearly unrecognizable Martin Scorsese as Dante's mentor, reminiscent of a hermit or Dumbledore.

Beyond the headline-makers, several other performances garnered acclaim, including Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, and Ayo Edebiri in Luca Guadagnino's "After the Hunt," Jude Law as Vladimir Putin in Olivier Assayas' "The Wizard of the Kremlin," Benjamin Voisin in Francois Ozon's "The Stranger," and Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons in Yorgos Lanthimos' dark comedy, "Bugonia."

Amidst Venice's scorching heat, Teo Yoo, known for "Past Lives," demonstrated sartorial elegance while serving as a jury member for the inaugural Golden Globes Impact Prize for Documentary. This award, recognizing films addressing key social issues with artistic and journalistic merit, was ultimately presented to Ross McElwee's "Remake."

As always, a film festival presents a wealth of cinematic options and too little time to absorb them all. Yet, experiencing profoundly impactful films like "The Voice of Hind Rajab" and "The Stranger" makes every sleep-deprived moment of the journey truly worthwhile.