Gaza marks the grand stage for a major celebration, bolstered by Hollywood endorsement
In the heart of Venice, the 79th International Film Festival has been a buzz with the premiere of Julian Schnabel's latest historical thriller, "In The Hand of Dane". But the film, which tells the final moments of Palestinian girl Hind Rajab's life in the Gaza Strip, has stirred a political storm.
During the press conference for the film, Schnabel and his team expressed their sorrow over the fate of Hind Rajab and made a political appeal against the ongoing conflict in Gaza, accusing Israel of committing genocide. However, Schnabel declined to comment on the debate over the Gaza conflict at the festival.
The film, titled "The Voice of Hind Rajab," uses a real phone recording of Hind speaking to Palestinian Red Crescent Society volunteers for about three hours while trapped in a targeted car. It suggests that Hind Rajab and parts of her family were killed by Israeli forces.
The connection to Hind was lost, and she was later found dead along with her family and the paramedics, 12 days later. The rescuers, who coordinated their efforts for hours, were reportedly killed on their way to Hind Rajab.
Actors Gal Gadot and Gerard Butler, who are part of "In The Hand of Dane", had been targeted by pro-Palestinian activists before the festival began, calling for their exclusion. Gadot, who served in the Israeli army and had expressed solidarity with Israeli victims after the Hamas terror attack in October 2023, and Butler, who had publicly expressed support for Israel in the past, were not present at the festival. Their management did not respond to requests for comment.
Israel and the German government, co-producers of the documentary drama about a Palestinian girl killed in the Gaza Strip, produced by Brad Pitt and Joaquin Phoenix, reject the genocide accusation made during the press conference.
This is the first time the Gaza conflict has taken center stage at an A-list festival, and the controversy surrounding "In The Hand of Dane" has undoubtedly made it a film to watch. The film premiered on Wednesday at the festival, following "The Voice of Hind Rajab". Schnabel, the director of the film, stated that he doesn't believe in boycotting artists and chose the actors for their acting abilities.
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