Film about Gaza child's killing gets record ovation at Venice

Executive producers Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara alongside director Kaouther Ben Hania and actor Motaz Malhees holding up a picture of the late Hind Rajab

Gaza film The Voice of Hind Rajab has received a 23-minute standing ovation after its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, thought to be a record.

Director Kaouther Ben Hania's re-enactment tells the story of six-year-old Hind Rajab, who was killed along with her cousins, aunt, uncle and two paramedics who had come to their aid after their car was fired on by Israeli forces in Gaza City in January 2024.

Film festivals are known for their lengthy ovations, but this appears to have eclipsed the 22-minute applause given to Pan's Labrynth at Cannes in 2006.

Actor Motaz Malhees waved a Palestinian flag, drawing sobs and chants of "free Palestine" while receiving the biggest response at this year's Venice event.

Last week, a number of Hollywood stars including Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara as well as Brad Pitt, Alfonso Cuarón and Jonathan Glazer joined the film as executive producers.

Phoenix and Mara were present at the photocall in Venice and also attended the emotion-charged premiere on Wednesday, where the cast of the film held up a photo of the late Hind Rajab throughout the ovation.

Shortly after the incident in which Hind, her relatives and the paramedics were killed, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said an initial investigation suggested its troops had not been within firing range of the car. A spokesperson later said a further investigation was under way, but no outcome has since been published.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 64,231 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

'The voice of every daughter'

The Voice of Hind Rajab looks likely to win an award in Venice and potentially at the Oscars too.

Tunisia - where its director is from - is putting it forward for consideration for best international feature film at next year's Academy Awards, where it is expected to be a strong favourite.

Last year, Ben Hania was nominated for an Oscar when Four Daughters was shortlisted for best documentary feature. In 2021, her film The Man Who Sold His Skin was nominated in the international feature category.

At the Venice news conference for her new film, she and her cast were greeted with a separate standing ovation.

Actress Saja Kilani told journalists: "Enough of the mass killing, the starvation, the dehumanisation, the destruction, and the ongoing occupation."

She added: "This film is not an opinion or a fantasy. It is anchored in truth. Hind's story carries the weight of an entire people. Her voice is one amongst tens of thousands of children that were killed in Gaza in the last two years alone. It is the voice of every daughter and every son with the right to live, to dream, to exist in dignity. Yet all of it was stolen in front of our unblinking eyes."

On Saturday in Venice, a large protest gathered on the Lido in support of the Palestinians and to denounce Israel's actions in Gaza.

'Heart-wrenching urgency'

In a review for Deadline, Damon Wise described it as a "vital" film which, he said, "could be the lightning rod that supporters of the Gazan cause are waiting for, an urgent procedural that uses cinematic means - close, hand-held takes and a camera that paces around like an expectant father - to make its point".

Variety's Guy Lodge praised the "crushing drama" but with reservations. "It's impossible not to be moved by the real-life audio recording that is the centerpiece of Kaouther Ben Hania's hybrid film, but the ethics and execution of the concept are questionable," he wrote.

Hollywood Reporter critic Sheri Linden noted how the "gripping drama delves into a notorious Gaza event with heart-wrenching urgency".

Until Wednesday's premiere, Mexican film-maker Guillermo del Toro previously held the record for the longest known film festival standing ovation.

In an interview with GQ last year, he revealed he had been slightly bemused by the experience.

"It's hard to describe what it is, to go that long, because the first three, four minutes, you're bathed in a sort of realm of acceptance and joy," the director said.

"Ten minutes in, you don't know what to do. You're just smiling and nodding."

Dwayne Johnson was recently seen weeping during the 15-minute ovation for his film The Smashing Machine, also at Venice.