KARACHI: A powerful new film portraying the heartbreaking final moments of a five-year-old Palestinian girl has shaken the Venice Film Festival, drawing the longest standing ovation in its history.
Directed by Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania, “The Voice of Hind Rajab” received a 23-minute-50-second standing ovation, breaking all previous festival records.
The film captures the last cries of Hind Rajab, a young Palestinian girl whose desperate calls for help from under the rubble went unheard. Critics say the work transcends cinema, becoming a haunting testimony to silenced voices in conflict zones.
“This is not just a film, it is the buried voice the world refused to hear,” Ben Hania told audiences after the screening.
International critics hailed the production as “the most important film of the year.” Clips from the premiere quickly went viral on social media, with viewers praising its emotional depth and raw portrayal of war’s human toll.
The Venice ovation marks a historic moment for both Palestinian storytelling and global cinema, underscoring the power of film to force the world to confront uncomfortable truths.
