Director Kaouther Ben Hania of the film "The Voice of Hind Rajab" poses with the photo of Hind Rajab at the red carpet of the premiere during the 82nd Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, September 3, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Jing)
Venice: "The Voice of Hind Rajab", a gut-wrenching Gaza film that left audiences sobbing at its premiere, won the Silver Lion grand jury prize at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday.
The movie, from French-Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania, is about the real-life killing of five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab by Israeli forces while her family was trying to evacuate from Gaza.
In a move that might disappoint campaigners against the Gaza war, the Venice jury under American director Alexander Payne did not reward "The Voice of Hind Rajab" with the Golden Lion.
Instead, the film about a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli troops last year, which reduced many festival viewers to tears, was given the grand jury second prize.
Director Kaouther Ben Hania produced a dramatised re-telling of Hind Rajab Hamada's ordeal after she was trapped in a car that came under fire while she and her relatives were fleeing Gaza City.
It was the most talked about movie on the Venice Lido and tipped by many as the likely winner after a 23-minute standing ovation at its premiere on Wednesday.
Hind Rajab's story "is not hers alone", Ben Hania said as she accepted her award.
"It is tragically the story of an entire people enduring genocide, inflicted by a criminal Israeli regime that acts with impunity," she added.
Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix as well as Oscar-winning directors Jonathan Glazer ("The Zone of Interest") and Mexico's Alfonso Cuaron ("Roma") joined the film as executive producers after editing had been completed.
Jarmusch signalled his opposition to Israel's continued siege and bombardment of Gaza by wearing a badge saying "Enough" on the red carpet for the Venice awards ceremony.
