‘NAZA’ trailer appears on YouTube ahead of New York premiere
The Gaza war documentary heads to the New York Film Festival as the Israeli-American Council plans a gathering outside the screening
A trailer for “NAZA,” the Gaza war documentary that drew sharp criticism from Israeli officials, appeared on YouTube ahead of its North American premiere at New York’s Lincoln Center on Saturday.
The trailer features silhouetted interviewees discussing anticipated civilian deaths in airstrikes. One describes “a factory of targets,” while another alleges that “there was approval once to kill 500.” A speaker also recalls people saying after October 7 that “there are no innocent people in Gaza.”
The film, directed by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, will screen as part of the New York Film Festival’s main slate at 3:30 p.m., with another showing scheduled for Sunday at noon. It won the special jury prize at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month.
The Israeli-American Council announced a gathering outside Lincoln Center during Saturday’s screening. Organizers said mobile screens would show “October 7: Bearing Witness to the Massacre” to challenge the documentary’s narrative and draw attention to the Hamas-led attack.
Filmed at night on Tel Aviv rooftops, “NAZA” features anonymous interviews with 24 people presented as Israeli soldiers and intelligence personnel. They describe surveillance and targeting procedures and allege that strikes were approved despite expectations of extensive civilian casualties. The title comes from a Hebrew military acronym for “collateral damage.”
The IDF rejected the allegations and questioned whether the interviewees had access to the information they discussed. It said the military operated under the laws of armed conflict, took measures to minimize civilian harm and used human personnel to select and approve strikes.
Abraham said the filmmakers verified and cross-checked the accounts. He also said the documentary would be made available online for free, with a release planned for November, and had been offered to Israeli cinemas at no charge.