“NAZA,” a new documentary by two Oscar-winning Israeli filmmakers detailing what the creators describe as the systemic killing of Palestinian civilians during Israel’s offensive in Gaza, premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Thursday, earning a record-breaking 25-minute standing ovation.
The film, by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor – two of the four directors of the Oscar-winning film “No Other Land” – was shot at night on rooftops in Tel Aviv and covers the period since the outbreak of the war. The official synopsis for the film states that the documentary reveals “in detail the systems behind Israel’s calculated mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.” Winners will be announced on September 12.
Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor look drawn and solemn amid strong applause for Golden Lion Contender ‘NAZA’ exposing Israeli targeting of civilians in Gaza #VeniceFilmFestival
“The core of the film is a system of killing that has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians in Gaza – estimates say the real number is much higher – the way it worked and the way the world allowed it to happen,” Abraham said in the news conference after the film. “This is the heart of what we want to do.”
The film broke a previous festival record set by another film that deals with Palestinian civilians killed in Gaza – “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” which tells the true story of a young girl trapped in a car in Gaza under Israeli fire, and received an ovation surpassing 20 minutes when it premiered in Venice last year.
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A scene from “NAZA,” a documentary by The Guardian, directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor. Credit: Venice Film Festival via AP
A scene from “NAZA,” a documentary by The Guardian, directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor. Credit: Venice Film Festival via AP
The documentary’s title, “NAZA,” is derived from the Hebrew military acronym for collateral damage. The movie draws on findings first published by left-wing Israeli outlets +972 Magazine and Local Call, together with The Guardian in 2023 and 2025.
The subjects in the film detail the surveillance systems and remote bombing involved in the Israeli military’s operation, which they say uses artificial intelligence to identify potential Hamas targets and bomb their homes and apartments, often knowing that families are inside.