Venice ovation fuels hopes for Gaza girl film to reach global audience

The Venice Film Festival recently witnessed an unprecedented moment, as "The Voice of Hind Rajab" garnered a remarkable 24-minute standing ovation, marking the longest applause received by any film at the festival this year. This powerful reception signals a strong desire for its critical message to resonate globally.

Directed by Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania, the film offers a harrowing recount of the final hours of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old girl from Gaza. Her tragic story unfolds in 2024, when she became trapped in a vehicle under Israeli fire, ultimately losing her life.

Ben Hania expressed profound gratitude and surprise at the overwhelming audience response, emphasizing her hope that this powerful beginning would launch the film's journey to audiences worldwide. Actor Amer Hlehel, who portrays a Red Crescent dispatcher in the movie, shared a poignant mix of emotions, acknowledging a "guilty feeling" amidst ongoing suffering, yet affirming the cast and crew's collective mission to ensure Hind's story is heard universally.

The film meticulously details the incident from January 29, 2024, when Hind, attempting to flee Gaza City with her family, endured an attack on their vehicle by Israeli forces. Miraculously surviving the initial gunfire, her heart-wrenching pleas for rescue to Red Crescent staff, captured in audio used within the film, underscore the desperate situation. Despite Israeli approval for a rescue after a three-hour delay, contact with the ambulance crew was lost shortly after their arrival, and the bodies of Hind, her relatives, and the two medics were discovered days later.

While the Israel Defence Forces initially denied their presence within firing range of the car, a subsequent UN report contradicted this, holding Israel accountable. The IDF has since stated the incident remains under review. "The Voice of Hind Rajab" now faces the challenge of securing a US distributor, a hurdle often encountered by films that are critical of Israel, as seen with the critically acclaimed documentary "No Other Land."

Despite potential distribution challenges, the film boasts significant backing from Hollywood executive producers, including Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, and Rooney Mara, adding considerable industry weight. Furthermore, Tunisia has already selected it as its official submission for the Best International Feature at the 2026 Academy Awards. Ben Hania remains steadfast in her belief that the film's message transcends controversy, asserting, "The killing of a child should not be divisive… It’s a crime," highlighting its universal call for empathy and justice.