A devastating new film about the death of five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab during war on Gaza has become the standout entry at this year’s Venice Film Festival, breaking applause records and igniting political expression.

Directed by acclaimed Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania, The Voice of Hind Rajab premiered in the festival’s Sala Grande to overwhelming emotion. The drama reconstructs Hind’s final hours as she pleaded for rescue by phone from the wreckage of a shelled car in Gaza City in January 2024. Trapped among the bodies of her relatives, Hind remained in contact with the Palestinian Red Crescent until she and two paramedics who attempted to reach her were killed. Media investigations later concluded that Israeli tank fire was responsible.

At Wednesday’s world premiere, the screening was followed by nearly 24 minutes of sustained applause, surpassing previous festival records. The ovation was punctuated by chants of “Free Palestine” and waves of Palestinian flags. Actor Motaz Malhees, who plays a central role in the film, raised a flag handed from the audience, drawing thunderous cheers.

Hollywood heavyweights including Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Jonathan Glazer, Alfonso Cuarón and James Wilson joined the project as executive producers ahead of its Venice debut. Phoenix and Mara walked the red carpet with the cast while holding a photograph of Hind. Phoenix also wore an “Artists for Ceasefire” pin.

Tunisia has already selected The Voice of Hind Rajab as its official entry for the 2026 Academy Awards in the Best International Feature category, setting the film on a path to global recognition.

During a press conference that opened with a lengthy ovation, actress Saja Kilani delivered a statement on behalf of the filmmaking team: “Hind’s story carries the weight of an entire people. Her voice is one among thousands of children who lost their lives in Gaza in the last two years. Beyond every number is a story that never got to be told.”

Director Kaouther Ben Hania, whose previous works Four Daughters and The Man Who Sold His Skin earned Oscar nominations, explained her inspiration: “It was the voice of Gaza itself calling for help – and no one could reach her.”

For Hind’s mother, Wissam Hamada, who remains in Gaza with her surviving son, the hope is that the film will spur global action: “The whole world has left us to die, to go hungry, to live in fear and to be forcibly displaced without doing anything. I hope this film will help end the war.”