At the Venice Film Festival this weekend, one of the most emotional moments came not from a glamorous premiere, but from a powerful film that told a heartbreaking true story. ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’, a documentary-style drama directed by French-Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania, won the Silver Lion award, the festival’s second-highest honor.
The film is based on the real tragedy of five-year-old Hind Rajab, a Palestinian girl killed in Gaza last year during Israel’s attacks. Hind’s story shook the world when it was revealed that she had been trapped inside a car full of her family members, all of whom had been killed by gunfire as they tried to leave Gaza City.
For hours, Hind spoke over the phone with the Palestine Red Crescent Society, her small voice asking for help as rescue workers tried to comfort her.
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Ben Hania uses those actual audio recordings in her film, making it a deeply haunting experience for audiences. There is a child’s voice throughout the movie.
They eventually killed Hind too, along with two ambulance workers who were about to save her.
When the film premiered in Venice on Wednesday, it received an extraordinary 23-minute standing ovation, one of the longest of the festival. Many believed it would win the top prize.
Although that honor went to Jim Jarmusch’s ‘Father Mother Sister Brother’, ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ still received wide regard as the most talked-about entry at this year’s festival.
In her acceptance speech, Ben Hania said that Hind’s story was not only about one little girl but also about “an entire people enduring genocide.” She spoke of cinema’s role in keeping such stories alive, even when it cannot undo the suffering.
“Cinema cannot bring Hind back, nor erase the atrocity committed against her,” she said. “But cinema can preserve her voice and carry it across the world. Her voice will echo until there is justice.”
Jim Jarmusch, who won the Golden Lion for his family-centered triptych ‘Father Mother Sister Brother’, appeared on stage wearing a badge with the word “Enough,” a quiet but clear message against Israel’s ongoing bombardment and blockade of Gaza.