Her voice lives on: Hind Rajab’s story wins Silver Lion in Venice Festival

The film depicts the harrowing martyrdom of five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab at the hands of the Zionist regime during its war on Gaza. It recounts the real-life story of Hind Rajab and her family, killed while attempting to leave Gaza City in January 2024. The film incorporates the authentic audio of Hind’s hours-long phone call with the Palestinian Red Crescent.

In the recording, aid workers can be heard trying to comfort the trapped child, who was stuck inside a bullet-ridden car beside the bodies of her uncle’s family. Eventually, when two Red Crescent medics arrived to rescue Hind, they too were shot and killed by the Israeli army. The bodies were discovered 12 days later next to the bullet-riddled cars; investigations revealed Hind’s car had been hit by 335 bullets.

The Voice of Hind Rajab became the most talked-about film at the 2025 Venice Festival. Since its premiere on opening day last Wednesday—where it received a 23-minute standing ovation—it was seen as a frontrunner for awards.

Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania, upon receiving the Silver Lion, said: “Hind’s story is not only the story of one little girl—it is, tragically, the story of an entire people enduring genocide.”

She dedicated her award to the Palestinian Red Crescent, calling them admirable heroes. She added: “Hind’s voice was a cry for help that the whole world could hear, yet no one answered.”

Ben Hania stressed that until accountability and justice are achieved, Hind’s voice will continue to resonate: “Cinema cannot bring her back, nor erase the injustice done to her, but it can preserve her voice.”

She emphasized that the story is also about the urgent need to end the Gaza war: “Hind’s family and countless others in Gaza still face daily bombardment, danger, fear, and hunger. We call on world leaders to act.”

American filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, who received the Golden Lion at this year’s festival, also used his acceptance speech to denounce the ongoing siege and bombardment of Gaza. The 72-year-old expressed concern that one of his film’s distributors had taken money from a company linked to the Israeli military.

Toni Servillo, winner of Best Actor at the 2025 Venice Festival, praised the courage of those joining humanitarian flotillas to Gaza: “They have chosen, bravely, to reach Palestine and bring a sign of humanity to a land where human dignity is cruelly and daily degraded.”

The winner of Best Director in the Horizons sidebar also addressed Gaza in her remarks. The Indian filmmaker declared: “Every child deserves peace, freedom, and liberation—and Palestine is no exception. I stand with Palestine. Perhaps this will upset my country, but I no longer care.”

Audience Award winner Maryam Touzani likewise lamented the ongoing war in Gaza: “How many mothers have lost their children? How many more will before this horror ends? We refuse to surrender our humanity.”

The Venice International Film Festival is the starting point of awards season and often predicts Oscar contenders. Films screened here in the past four years have earned more than 90 Academy Award nominations and won nearly 20 Oscars.

Since Tunisia is submitting The Voice of Hind Rajab as its official entry to the Academy Awards, the film is also expected to compete strongly at the Oscars.