‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ Wins Silver Lion at Venice Film Festival
The film ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab,’ which recounts the harrowing death of a six-year-old Palestinian girl during an Israeli attack, garnered the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize at the 82nd Venice Film Festival on September 6, 2025, reports 24brussels.
Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania accepted the award at the Palazzo del Cinema on the Venetian Lido, where the audience responded with a standing ovation.
In her acceptance speech, Ben Hania dedicated the award “to the Palestinians and to all those who risk everything to save lives in Gaza, who are true heroes. Hind’s voice is the very voice of Gaza,” she stated.
The director highlighted cinema’s essential role, asserting that it “gives the courage to tell stories that would otherwise be erased.” She added, “Cinema cannot bring her back (the girl) and cannot erase the atrocities committed against her, no one can ever restore what has been taken from them, but cinema can preserve her voice and make it resonate beyond borders.”
Ben Hania emphasized that the girl’s story symbolizes the collective tragedy of a people enduring the violence perpetrated by the Israeli regime. The film features actual audio recordings of Hind Rajab calling for help during the fatal attack, capturing the brutal reality amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The premiere of ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ left audiences deeply moved, particularly as the backdrop of Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip unfolded. High-profile Hollywood figures, including Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, and Alfonso Cuarón, supported the project’s production, highlighting its international appeal and the urgency of its themes.
