Brad Pitt's The Voice of Hind Rajab makes history with 23-minute standing ovation at Venice Film Fest

The docu-drama The Voice of Hind Rajab made history at the Venice Film Festival with a 23-minute standing ovation — the longest in the festival’s history.

The film, which recounts the final plea of six-year-old Gaza girl Hind Rajab, is backed by a powerhouse team of executive producers including Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Alfonso Cuarón, Jonathan Glazer, Dede Gardner, and Jeremy Kleiner.

Produced by Mime Films, Tanit Films, RaeFilm Studios, JW Films, and supported by Film4 and MBC Studios, the project brings global cinematic weight to a harrowing story of loss and injustice.

At its heart, the docu-drama recreates the final phone recordings from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. On January 29, 2024, six-year-old Hind Rajab was trapped inside her family car after Israeli fire killed her aunt, uncle, and three cousins. Over the phone, her sobs can be heard: “Please come to me, please come. I’m scared.” Gunfire crackled in the background.

Despite hours of desperate communication, rescuers were blocked. When an ambulance was eventually dispatched, contact was cut off. Days later, Hind’s body was discovered alongside her relatives and the two medics killed trying to reach her.

Director Kaouther Ben Hania said she wanted to give dignity and a voice to victims too often reduced to statistics.

“Media narratives portray those dying in Gaza as ‘collateral damage.’ That dehumanisation is why cinema and art are vital — to give people a voice and a face,” she told reporters.

On the Venice red carpet, Phoenix and Mara joined Ben Hania, actor Motaz Malhees, and actress Clara Khoury in holding a portrait of Hind Rajab.

Speaking to AFP from Gaza, Hind’s mother, Wissam Hamada, said she hoped the film would help end the war.