THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB Premieres At 82Nd Venice Film

THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB Echoes From Venice to the World Over Festival

Kaouther Ben Hania's THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB - Tunisia's official admission to the 98th Academy Awards - had a historic world premiere at the 82nd edition of the renowned Venice Film Festival, running from August 27th to September 6th.

Enjoying a sold-out first screening in the presence of its entire cast and crew, including lead actor Motaz Malhees, who held a photo of Hind Rajab on the red carpet and raised the Palestinian flag on the stage of the theater after the film's conclusion, and executive producers Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, and Alfonso Cuarón and a hearty, 22-minute-long standing ovation - the longest in the festival's history, culminating in theater-wide chants to“Free Palestine” - THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB is poised for a successful run throughout the rest of the festival and beyond.

In a post-screening press conference, Kilani declared that“the VOICE OF HIND RAJAB does not need our defence. This film is not an opinion or a fantasy; it is anchored in truth. Hind's story carries the weight of an entire people.” Film director Ben Hania also commented on Trump's plans to turn Gaza's coastline into a“Riviera,” saying,“When I think about Hind playing on the beach, and I think about this project, [I find myself asking] in what world do we live in?”

January 29, 2024. Red Crescent volunteers receive an emergency call. A six-year-old girl is trapped in a car under fire in Gaza, pleading for rescue. While trying to keep her on the line, they do everything they can to get an ambulance to her. Her name was Hind Rajab. The film uses real-life voice recordings between Hind and the Red Crescent correspondents that attempted to rescue her from the unrelenting Israeli attack.

Explaining her vision for the film, Ben Hania said,“What I wanted was to focus on the invisible: The waiting, the fear, the unbearable sound of silence when help doesn't come. Sometimes, what you don't see is more devastating than what you do. At the heart of it is something very simple, and very hard to live with. I cannot accept a world where a child calls for help and no one comes. That pain, that failure, belongs to all of us.”

Earlier, Deadline announced the film's backing by Hollywood topshots Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, and Alfonso Cuarón, who are onboard as executive producers.

Details of the film's upcoming festival trajectory have also emerged, ensuring that the story of Hind is told on a worldwide platform as it heads to the Toronto International Film Festival, followed by the BFI London Film Festival, the Perlak section of the San Sebastián International Film Festival in Spain, and the World Cinema section of the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea.

THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB stars a fully Palestinian cast, including Saja Kilani, Motaz Malhees, Clara Khoury, and Amer Hlehel. It is produced by Nadim Cheikhrouha, Odessa Rae, and James Wilson, in tandem with the production companies Mime Films and Tanit Films, respectively. It is also distributed across the Arab World by MAD Distribution.

Kaouther Ben Hania is one of the most acclaimed filmmakers of the Arab World, known for her bold storytelling and cinematic innovation. Her 2023 film FOUR DAUGHTERS won the l'Oeil d'Or at Cannes and was nominated for Best Documentary at the 2024 Academy Awards. Her 2020 feature, THE MAN WHO SOLD HIS SKIN, was nominated for Best International Feature and won Best Actor at Venice's Horizons Section.

Earlier works like BEAUTY AND THE DOGS, ZAINEB HATES THE SNOW, and CHALLAT OF TUNIS have also earned international acclaim.

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