Roaring bravery for Gaza.

At a recent film festival, two captivating films were screened, each offering a unique perspective on the complexities of the human experience.

The first, "Father Mother Sister Brother," directed by Jim Jarmusch, tells a story of family relationships with gentle irony, exploring the hypocrisies and unsaid things that often lie beneath the surface. The film consists of three episodes, each delving into different aspects of family dynamics. In the first episode, Tom Waits plays an absent and bon vivant father, pretending a humble life in front of his two visiting children. The second episode sees Indya Moore and Luka Sabbat reuniting in Paris to pay their last respects to their deceased hippie parents' house. The third and final episode features Charlotte Rampling as a mother uninterested in her daughters' lives, obsessed with the tea ceremony that reunites them once a year.

The second film, "The Voice of Hind Rajab," is a documentary by Kaouther Ben Hania. It depicts a harrowing event that took place on January 29, 2024, in Gaza, as seen from the Red Crescent's operations room. The film was divisive, with some loving it immediately while others accused it of being blackmailing and not cinematic enough. Despite not receiving the Golden Lion, it received the longest ovation (24 minutes) at the festival. The film reconstructs the Kafkaesque protocol that rescuers must follow, culminating in a heart-wrenching scene where a six-year-old Palestinian girl's recorded voice is heard, trapped in a car while an ambulance was only 8 minutes away.

The film could have won the Golden Lion, but it did not. The jury, led by Alexander Payne, did not award "The Voice of Hind Rajab." However, it was the jury's intention to award the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize to the film. The distribution company for "The Voice of Hind Rajab" is PANDORA FILM Verleih. Notable executive producers include Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Alfonso Cuarón, Rooney Mara, and Jonathan Glazer.

The film is a powerful commentary on the occupation, showing the impossible rules that, even if followed, lead to no result. Nino D'Angelo, Toni Servillo, and Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa from Jerusalem called for an end to the massacre during the festival.

Cate Blanchett and Vicky Krieps are two of the daughters in the final episode of "Father Mother Sister Brother." The film ultimately won the Golden Lion at the festival. If you have the opportunity, we highly recommend watching both of these thought-provoking films.