The Voice of Hind Rajab Wins Silver Lion at Venice Film Festival

A Heartbreaking Story from Gaza

The harrowing docudrama The Voice of Hind Rajab by French-Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania has won the Silver Lion at the prestigious Venice Film Festival. The film tells the true story of five-year-old Hind Rajab, who was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza while trying to evacuate with her family.

The film integrates real audio from Hind’s hours-long call with the Palestine Red Crescent Society, during which rescuers attempted to comfort her as she remained trapped in a bullet-ridden car alongside the bodies of her relatives. Tragically, Hind, along with two ambulance workers who went to rescue her, was also killed.

Critical Acclaim and Standing Ovation

Premiering to a 23-minute standing ovation, The Voice of Hind Rajab was one of the most talked-about films at the festival, widely tipped to take home the top prize.

Accepting the award, Ben Hania dedicated the film to Hind and the Palestinian people, saying:

“Cinema cannot bring Hind back, nor can it erase the atrocity committed against her. Nothing can ever restore what was taken, but cinema can preserve her voice, make it resonate across borders.”

She added that Hind’s story symbolizes the suffering of “an entire people enduring genocide.”

Gaza’s Shadow Over the Festival

This year’s festival was heavily overshadowed by the ongoing war in Gaza, which has claimed more than 64,000 lives, including over 18,000 children.

Golden Lion winner Jim Jarmusch, honored for his film Father Mother Sister Brother, made a quiet yet powerful political statement by wearing a badge reading “Enough” during the award ceremony. Jarmusch also raised concerns about one of his distributors’ ties to the Israeli military.

Other Major Winners

• Best Actor: Toni Servillo (La Grazia), for his portrayal of a weary president nearing the end of his mandate.

• Best Actress: Xin Zhilei (The Sun Rises On Us All), a moving drama exploring guilt and unresolved love.

• Best Director: Benny Safdie (The Smashing Machine), starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as MMA pioneer Mark Kerr.

• Special Jury Award: Gianfranco Rosi (Below the Clouds), a black-and-white documentary on life in Naples amid natural disasters.

Calls for Palestine on the Global Stage

Several winners used their platform to highlight Gaza’s plight. Italian actor Toni Servillo praised activists attempting to break Israel’s blockade by sea, calling their mission an act of courage.

Indian filmmaker Annapurna Roy, who won in the Horizons sidebar for Songs of Forgotten Trees, declared:

“Every child deserves peace, freedom, liberation, and Palestine is no exception.”

Moroccan filmmaker Maryam Touzani, winner of the Armani Beauty audience award, asked:

“How many mothers have been made childless? How many more until this horror is brought to an end? We refuse to lose our humanity.”

Venice and the Road to Awards Season

The Venice Film Festival often sets the tone for the upcoming awards season. In recent years, films premiering there have gone on to secure over 90 Oscar nominations and nearly 20 wins.

Despite high expectations, films by Kathryn Bigelow, Guillermo del Toro, Noah Baumbach, Park Chan-wook, and Yorgos Lanthimos left without awards this year.