Gaza film at Venice faces hate campaign after record standing ovation
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Kaouther Ben Hania’s Gaza film "The Voice of Hind Rajab" has seen a record 23-minute ovation at Venice but was soon hit by a hate campaign targeting its producers.
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Motaz Malhees in a scene from 'The Voice of Hind Rajab' (AP)
A powerful new film on Gaza received 23 minutes of applause at its Venice Film Festival premiere, but within hours became the target of a coordinated hate campaign, director Kaouther Ben Hania revealed Friday.
Her film, “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” tells the harrowing story of a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli fire in January 2024. It is now a strong contender for the Golden Lion, the festival’s top prize.
Hate campaign after acclaim
Speaking to AFP, the French-Tunisian director said her producers, including Hollywood stars Brad Pitt and Joaquin Phoenix, who served as executive producers, received “thousands and thousands” of identical, intimidating emails after the screening.
“The same message, sent over and over, was super intimidating,” Ben Hania said.
A child’s last moments
The film is based on real recordings of Hind Rajab’s desperate calls to the Red Crescent as her family tried to flee Gaza. The audio, shared with the director by Hind’s mother, is paired with actors portraying emergency workers overwhelmed by the chaos as "Israeli" tanks closed in.
“I didn’t make this film to keep people comfortable in their seats,” Ben Hania said. “After hearing about Hind’s death, I felt anger, despair, but also the need to ask, ‘What can I do?’”
Cast members said at a press conference they considered it their “duty” to make the film.
The film has drawn strong reviews, with The Guardian praising Ben Hania for tackling “one of the most relevant issues of our time and thrusting it under our noses.”
Critics highlighted the emotional power of the audio recordings, though some raised ethical questions about their use.
The movie will be released in Tunisia later this month and has been chosen as the country’s entry for the 2026 Academy Awards. It is also set to travel the international festival circuit, with screenings in Toronto, London, San Sebastian, and Busan.
Ben Hania said the global visibility of the film is crucial. “For a film like this, it allows enormous visibility. And I want the film to be seen a little bit everywhere in the world.”
