Brad Pitt and Joaquin Phoenix Join Gaza Drama The Voice of Hind Rajab Ahead of Venice Premiere

Hollywood heavyweights Brad Pitt and Joaquin Phoenix have joined as executive producers on The Voice of Hind Rajab, a Gaza-set drama from acclaimed filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania. The film, which premieres at the Venice Film Festival on September 3, 2025, has also drawn support from Alfonso Cuarón, Rooney Mara, and Jonathan Glazer, alongside Brad Pitt’s Plan B producing partners Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner.

Their backing elevates the international profile of the film, which tells one of the most haunting stories to emerge from Gaza’s recent war.

The Story of Hind Rajab

The Voice of Hind Rajab reconstructs the final hours of six-year-old Hind Rajab, who in January 2024 called Red Crescent volunteers from a car riddled with bullets after Israeli forces opened fire as her family attempted to flee Gaza City.

Hind remained trapped inside, whispering for help, as rescuers tried to reach her. Days later, her body was discovered.

The film uses audio recordings of Hind’s desperate calls, blending fact with dramatization. Investigations by The Washington Post and Sky News confirmed Israeli tanks were in the area, contradicting Israeli claims. An Al Jazeera probe documented over 335 bullet holes in the vehicle.

Hind Rajab – Hind’s Wall, Gaza

Ben Hania’s Artistic Vision

Director Kaouther Ben Hania, a two-time Oscar nominee (Four Daughters, The Man Who Sold His Skin), has called Hind’s story both personal and universal: “I cannot accept a world where a child calls for help and no one comes. Cinema can preserve a memory. Cinema can resist amnesia. May Hind Rajab’s voice be heard.”

Rather than focusing on graphic imagery, Kaouther Ben Hania emphasises silence, fear, and the unbearable wait, making the film as much about human absence as human suffering.

 

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A post shared by Kaouther Ben Hania (@kaoutherbenhania)

Venice Festival and Global Context

The Venice Film Festival, opening this week, is already charged with political energy. Alongside The Voice of Hind Rajab, pro-Palestinian demonstrations are planned on the Lido. Festival director Alberto Barbera has noted that this year’s lineup reflects “a return to reality,” with works confronting war, repression, and occupation.

With Hollywood stars lending their names, the film is expected to spark heated debate in both cinematic and political circles. Its North American debut will follow at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Hind Rajab’s story has become a symbol of Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe. By adapting her final calls into cinema, Kaouther Ben Hania and her team hope to turn a child’s silenced voice into one that resonates globally. With Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, and other Hollywood figures stepping in, the project underscores how cinema can amplify voices erased by conflict.