A powerful docudrama about Israel’s killing of five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab during the war on Gaza has won the Silver Lion prize at the Venice Film Festival.
The Voice of Hind Rajab, directed by French-Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania, was among the most talked-about films of the festival, receiving a 23-minute standing ovation at its premiere.
The film tells the harrowing true story of Hind Rajab, who was killed in Gaza last year while trapped in a car riddled with bullets. She had spent hours on the phone with the Palestine Red Crescent Society, pleading for rescue as her aunt, uncle, and three cousins lay dead beside her after Israeli fire.
Hind was eventually killed along with two ambulance workers who attempted to reach her. The film uses real audio from her final calls, preserving the child’s voice as a haunting testimony to the war’s brutality.
Director’s message
Accepting the award, Ben Hania said Hind’s story reflected the suffering of “an entire people enduring genocide.”
“Cinema cannot bring Hind back, nor can it erase the atrocity committed against her,” she said. “But cinema can preserve her voice, make it resonate across borders. Her voice will continue to echo until accountability is real, until justice is served.”
Political Messages on the Red Carpet
The Golden Lion went to US director Jim Jarmusch’s Father Mother Sister Brother. Jarmusch wore a badge reading “Enough” in solidarity with Gaza during the ceremony and acknowledged concerns over links between his film’s distributors and companies tied to the Israeli military.
Several other winners also used the platform to speak about Gaza. Italian actor Toni Servillo, awarded best actor for La Grazia, praised activists attempting to break Israel’s blockade by sea. Indian filmmaker Annapurna Roy, who won best director in the Horizons sidebar, declared: “Every child deserves peace, freedom, liberation, and Palestine is no exception.”
Wider Recognition
The Venice Film Festival, a key launchpad for Oscar contenders, highlighted stories of resilience and dissent this year. Alongside The Voice of Hind Rajab, China’s Xin Zhilei won best actress for The Sun Rises On Us All, while Benny Safdie earned best director for The Smashing Machine starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Yet it was Ben Hania’s film that struck the deepest emotional chord, turning the tragedy of a five-year-old girl into a global call for justice.
