Gaza documentary ‘NAZA’ wows Venice and breaks standing ovation record

Key Points:

• NAZA, a documentary by Israeli directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, premiered at the Venice Film Festival and is a strong contender for the Golden Lion award, receiving a record-breaking 24.5-minute standing ovation.
• The film exposes Israel’s military tactics in Gaza, featuring interviews with 24 Israeli military personnel who discuss the deliberate targeting of Palestinian civilians, with the title referring to a military term for expected collateral damage.
• NAZA builds on investigative reporting from 2023 to 2025 by +972 Magazine, Local Call, and The Guardian, and is produced by The Guardian alongside Oscar-winning producers James Wilson and Jonathan Glazer.
• The documentary follows the directors' previous Oscar-winning work No Other Land and aims to use their unique access to Israeli military insiders to reveal what human rights groups describe as genocide.
• NAZA will also screen at the San Sebastián and New York Film Festivals, with global sales managed by MK2 Films, and the Venice Film Festival’s Golden Lion winner will be announced on 12 September.