Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara Make Rare Red Carpet Appearance in Venice

Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara stepped out for a rare red carpet appearance during the 2025 Venice International Film Festival.

On Wednesday, Sept. 3, the couple attended the premiere of The Voice of Hind Rajab in Venice, Italy.

Mara and Phoenix recently joined the film — a documentary drama that tells the story of Hind Rajab, a 6-year-old girl who was killed amid the war between Israel and Gaza — as executive producers. They will work on the project alongside the likes of Brad Pitt, Alfonso Cuarón and Jonathan Glazer, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The pair supported the film at its premiere during the festival and at a photocall event, posing for photos alongside director Kaouther Ben Hania and the film’s cast.

Mara opted for a strapless black dress with a full skirt at the premiere, which she paired with open-toed heels and a slicked-back hairstyle. For the photocall, she wore another black dress with thin straps and flats.

Phoenix matched Mara and the rest of the cast in monochromatic black, wearing a sweater and jeans to the photocall and changing into a suit for the premiere.

The cast carried a photo of Rajab, whose voice was used in the film, on the more somber red carpet.

According to reporting by Deadline, the film set a record when it received a standing ovation that lasted nearly 24 minutes.

The previous record-holder at the Venice Film Festival was 18 minutes of applause for The Room Next Door. The outlet noted that Pan’s Labyrinth was met with roughly 22 minutes of applause at the Cannes Film Festival back in 2006.

While attending a press conference for the film ahead of its premiere, Ben Hania said that she was “very grateful” for the support the film has received from Hollywood stars, according to THR.

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“The fact that all those names joined the movie means something. We’ve seen the narrative change all around the world,” she said. “That’s why cinema, art and every kind of expression are very important — to give those people a voice and a face.”

Phoenix and Mara are a notoriously private couple. Their love story began after they met on the set of Her in 2012. However, things didn’t turn romantic right away, and they didn’t make their official debut as a couple until attending Cannes in 2017.

It is believed that they got engaged in 2019 after Mara was spotted wearing a diamond ring on that finger.

They welcomed their first child, a son named River, in September 2020. Mara debuted a baby bump on the red carpet in February 2024, revealing that the couple was expecting a second child.

Later that year, Phoenix sparked rumors that the couple had already said “I do” by referring to Mara as his “wife” during a September appearance on Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso.

Neither Phoenix nor Mara has confirmed the status of their relationship since then.

Mara last supported Phoenix on the red carpet during the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where she attended the premiere of his movie Eddington. However, the couple did not pose for formal pictures together during the event.

Their last joint red carpet appearance was at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures 4th Annual Gala in Partnership with Rolex at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on Oct. 19, 2024.

While attending the event, photographers captured Phoenix playing the role of a doting partner as he helped Mara adjust the train of her dress while she posed for the cameras.