Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor’s documentary NAZA premiered at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month, where it received a festival-record 25-minute standing ovation and won the special jury prize. The 80-minute film reveals the systems behind Israel’s calculated mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, drawing on secret nighttime interviews shot on the rooftops of Tel Aviv with 24 Israeli intelligence officers, soldiers, and whistleblowers who discussed how Palestinians are targeted.
The film’s title refers to a military acronym euphemistically used by Israeli intelligence and military forces—standing for “Nezek Agavi,” meaning collateral damage—to indicate the number of civilians expected to be killed in an airstrike. NAZA builds upon investigative reporting published between 2023 and 2025 by The Guardian, the Israeli-Palestinian +972 Magazine, and the Hebrew-language outlet Local Call. The Guardian produced the documentary alongside James Wilson of JW Films and Oscar-winning filmmaker Jonathan Glazer, who served as executive producer.
Did You Know? NAZA broke the standing ovation record previously set at the Venice Film Festival by Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania’s Gaza-set film The Voice of Hind Rajab, which earned a 22-minute ovation at the festival last year.
Global Theatrical Rollout and Upcoming Screenings
Following its Venice debut and subsequent screenings in Bologna and at the San Sebastián Film Festival, NAZA is scheduled for its North American premiere at the New York Film Festival. Four days later, it will open at the IFC Center in New York City before expanding to Los Angeles and other key U.S. cities on 9 October ahead of a national rollout. French distribution company MK2 Films is handling world sales rights for a theatrical release planned across 55 territories, including the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, Brazil, Turkey, Thailand, France, Spain, Germany, Central America, and the Middle East.
A number of distributors and cinemas in Israel have been offered the film, and The Guardian is exploring ways by which NAZA can be viewed in the occupied Palestinian territories. Following its theatrical run, the documentary will stream for free on The Guardian’s website as part of the news organization’s commitment to independent journalism. Harry Davies, a Guardian investigations correspondent and one of the film’s producers, stated that the project is grounded in rigorous journalism published over the past three years while functioning as a powerful piece of cinema destined for screens worldwide.
Political Condemnation and Intimidation Campaigns in Israel
The documentary’s release has triggered fierce backlash from Israeli leadership. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a number of senior military and far-right political figures called for the directors’ citizenship to be revoked, accusing them of treason against the state. Netanyahu announced he would seek new laws allowing the country to strip citizenship from individuals who smear Israeli soldiers and defame the state. Alongside these statements, dozens of rightwing activists gathered outside Rachel Szor’s parents’ home under the watch of deployed police and border police officers, with one protester demanding the death penalty for traitors and the demolition of the filmmakers’ family homes.
Responding to the threats, Abraham and Szor issued a joint statement defending their work. “We made this film out of a sense of obligation to use our position as Israelis to examine the systems behind the mass killing of Palestinian civilians for which our country is responsible,” they said. “The threats from the Israeli government to revoke our citizenship and the death threats do not change that and will not stop the film.” International and domestic coalitions have rallied around the directors, with 43 local human rights organizations issuing a joint statement urging Israeli authorities to halt incitement and threats against the filmmakers and their sources. More than 1,500 Israeli filmmakers signed a petition defending freedom of expression, while international directors including Ken Loach, Joshua Oppenheimer, Paul Laverty, Laura Poitras, Nan Goldin, Richard Eyre, and Hanif Kureishi voiced outrage over what Oppenheimer characterized as a full-scale intimidation campaign against film directors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is NAZA about?
The documentary reveals the systems behind Israel’s calculated mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, featuring anonymous interviews with 24 Israeli intelligence officers, soldiers, and whistleblowers who discuss military targeting practices.
Who directed and produced the film?
NAZA was directed by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor. It was produced by The Guardian alongside James Wilson, with Jonathan Glazer serving as executive producer.
How can audiences watch the film?
Following festival screenings in Venice, Bologna, San Sebastián, and New York, NAZA will open in New York City before a national U.S. rollout, theatrical releases across more than 50 countries, and a free digital streaming release on The Guardian’s website.
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