Brad Pitt will bring a film about the children of Gaza to Venice Insieme a lui come produttori esecutivi Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Alfonso Cuarón e Jonathan Glazer

The world (albeit with some delay) is beginning to take a stance on the occupation of Gaza. And this year’s Venice Film Festival is becoming the place where the silence of public opinion begins to break: first with the controversies over Gal Gadot and Gerard Butler, now absent from the event; and now with the presentation of the film The Voice of Hind Rajab by Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania, supported as executive producers by Hollywood luminaries such as Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Alfonso Cuarón and Jonathan Glazer, who are helping give international resonance to the film’s unveiling. The plot tells the dramatic true story of six-year-old Hind Rajab, killed in early 2024 together with six members of her family. The child and her relatives were attempting to flee Gaza City when their car was struck by Israeli fire. Hind and a cousin initially survived and managed to call the Palestinian Red Crescent for help. When paramedics reached the vehicle, they found the lifeless bodies of the two girls and of the rescuers themselves, killed as well. The episode soon became a symbol of civilian suffering, sparking protests and vigils in several countries, culminating in the decision of Columbia University students to rename Hamilton Hall as “Hind’s Hall” in her memory.

The director, twice nominated for an Oscar with The Man Who Sold His Skin and Four Daughters, explained that her goal is to preserve memory in the face of collective oblivion. And according to early reports, Ben Hania’s film does not shy away from the brutality of those moments; on the contrary, it includes the real audio recordings of Hind’s final calls – with the ambition of immortalizing a news event otherwise destined to be lost in the constant flow of reports of equally cruel deaths. The project has attracted a diverse group of influential backers. Pitt and his producing partners at Plan B, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, appear in the credits alongside the UK’s Film4 and Middle Eastern studio MBC. Other executive producers include journalist and producer Jemima Khan, businessman Frank Giustra and designer Sabine Getty. Their support reflects the urgency with which the film was made: funding continued throughout every stage of production, and the Hollywood actors and directors who chose to become executive producers did so after viewing a preview of the film itself.

With a cast featuring Saja Kilani, Motaz Malhees, Clara Khoury and Amer Hlehel, the film is expected to be one of the most emotionally powerful moments of this year’s festival. Festival director Alberto Barbera has already suggested that it could leave an indelible mark on both audiences and critics. After Venice, the international journey will continue with screenings at the Toronto, San Sebastián, Busan and London film festivals, establishing the film as one of the season’s standout works on the festival circuit as well as one of the upcoming contenders for the Academy Awards race in the international category.