Jim Jarmusch wins top prize at Venice Film Festival

Almost tipped by Gaza docu-drama “The Voice of Hind Rajab”

Jim Jarmusch has won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival 2025 with Father Mother Sister Brother, a three-part family saga exploring ageing, memory and the tensions between parents and their grown-up children. Set across New Jersey, Dublin and Paris, the film’s stellar cast includes Tom Waits, Adam Driver, Charlotte Rampling, Cate Blanchett, Vicky Krieps and Mayim Bialik.

“I thank you for appreciating our quiet film,” Jarmusch said modestly as he accepted the award. Now a veteran of American independent cinema, he first rose to prominence in the 1980s with cult works such as Stranger Than Paradise. Though widely praised, his latest film had not initially been seen as the frontrunner for the festival’s top prize.

24-minute ovation for The Voice of Hind Rajab

The Silver Lion went to The Voice of Hind Rajab by Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania. The powerful docudrama reconstructs the tragedy of a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed during the Gaza war, using audio recordings of her final pleas for help. The film, which received a 24-minute standing ovation at its premiere, struck a strong political chord at a festival often considered more glamorous than confrontational and was initially tipped for the Lion d’Or.

Italian actor Toni Servillo was named best actor for La Grazia, directed by Paolo Sorrentino, while China’s Xin Zhilei claimed best actress for Cai Shangjun’s The Sun Rises On Us All. Best director went to Benny Safdie for The Smashing Machine, starring Dwayne Johnson as real-life mixed martial arts pioneer Mark Kerr.

The Venice Film Festival remains a key launchpad for US awards season contenders, with many past winners going on to secure Oscar recognition.

(Michael Leahy. Source: France24/Cannes or Bust. Photo: Riccardo Lo Re / Unsplash)