Overview

• Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania’s competition entry opened on Sept. 3 with nearly 24 minutes of standing ovations, reported as a record by Deadline.
• The docudrama was produced by Brad Pitt and Joaquin Phoenix, with Phoenix and fellow producer Rooney Mara appearing on the red carpet.
• The film blends claimed real phone and video material — including an approximately three-hour call with Palestinian Red Crescent volunteers — with dramatized scenes.
• Israel’s military denies responsibility for the killings portrayed, and the German government rejects the filmmaker’s genocide characterization voiced at the press conference.
• Festival tensions included protests that targeted Gal Gadot and Gerard Butler, who were not expected to attend, as Julian Schnabel publicly argued against boycotting artists.