Venice Film Festival Responds to Harrowing Gaza Testimony with Standing Ovation for “The Voice of Hind rajab”
Venice, Italy – The 81st Venice Film Festival witnessed an remarkable and deeply affecting response today to “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” a film reconstructing the final hours of a six-year-old Palestinian girl trapped in a car during intense fighting in Gaza. The film, built around the actual recorded voice of Hind Rajab from January 29, 2024, reportedly held the audience spellbound for 90 minutes, unbroken by even a mobile phone light.
The film centers on Hind’s desperate plea for rescue to emergency responders after her vehicle was struck while attempting to flee Gaza with family. The audio features Hind describing the horrific scene – her companions covered in blood,the terrifying proximity of tanks – and begging for help. It also incorporates the voices of the Red Crescent operators (Saja Kilani, Motaz Malhees, Amer Hlehel, and Clara Khoury) who attempted to coordinate a rescue, their efforts hampered by the dangerous conditions. The film interweaves these recordings with the voices of the real-life rescuers, amplifying the sense of urgency and helplessness.
Following the screening,the cast delivered a powerful statement,led by Saja Kilani. “From all the actors and the whole team we ask: we don’t have enough of dehumanization, destruction, employment? The movie The Voice of Hind Rajab and his voice don’t need our defense. This film is not an opinion, but has firm roots in reality. History brings the weight of an entire people,” kilani stated. The cast emphasized that Hind’s voice represents not only her individual tragedy but also the plight of the over ten thousand children killed in Gaza in the past two years, and a universal call for justice and the right to life, dignity, and peace. “Nobody can live in peace when children ask to be saved. We can no longer. We must ask for justice for the whole humanity, for the future of every child. Now enough,” Kilani concluded.
The film’s premiere marks a significant moment at the festival, transforming it into a platform for direct testimony from the ongoing conflict and sparking a powerful dialog about the human cost of the crisis in Gaza.
