At this year’s Venice Film Festival, Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania moved audiences to tears with her latest work, The Voice of Hind Rajab.
The film went on to win the Silver Lion Jury Prize, one of the festival’s top honours.
The 89-minute docufilm tells the story of six-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab’s final hours, as she called emergency services from Gaza and pleaded for rescue after Israeli forces bombed her family car.
Two weeks later, searchers discovered Hind’s body alongside six family members and the ambulance workers who had tried to save her
Ben Hania’s decision to use Hind’s own words makes the film both devastating and unforgettable.
The Voice of Hind Rajab drew one of the festival’s longest ovations – 23 minutes – leaving many in tears. While some thought it deserved the Golden Lion, its impact is undeniable.