“The Voice of Hind Rajab”: The Phenomenon of the 2025 Venice Film Festival

Oman today_ The film The Voice of Hind Rajab, directed by Kaouther Ben Hania from Tunisia, has taken the lead in the critics’ rankings at the 2025 Venice Film Festival. It earned an average score of 4.1 from Italian critics and an impressive 4.4 from international outlets such as Screen International, Hollywood Reporter, Le Monde, and IndieWire.
Written and directed by Ben Hania, the film tells the story of a five-year-old girl named Hind Rajab, who was left alone in a car and later killed during Israeli attacks on Gaza. The narrative is built around the real audio recordings of her desperate calls with Red Crescent emergency workers, who were trying to send an ambulance to rescue her. The cast includes Saji Kilani, Clara Khoury, and Moataz Malhis. The project has also drawn global attention thanks to the involvement of high-profile producers Joaquin Phoenix, Brad Pitt, and Alfonso Cuarón. At its opening night screening, the film received a standing ovation lasting more than 22 minutes, setting a new festival record.
In the rankings that followed, A House of Dynamite by Kathryn Bigelow placed second with an average score of 4.05, while No Other Choice and Frankenstein both received 3.85.