Gaza documentary ‘NAZA’ wins special jury prize at Venice

“NAZA,” a documentary about the Gaza war by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, has won the special jury prize at the Venice Film Festival, with Abraham using his acceptance speech to criticize the film’s detractors in Israel.

“It’s honestly not very easy to stand here, thinking of all the Israeli politicians and journalists who are now attacking this film and denying it without even seeing it,” Abraham said. “So much is being done not to look at reality.”

The documentary draws on interviews conducted over three years with 24 individuals presented as Israeli soldiers and intelligence personnel; their identities are concealed. They describe surveillance, target selection and the approval of strikes expected to kill civilians, including allegations that the military knowingly authorized attacks causing extensive civilian deaths.

Filmed at night on Tel Aviv rooftops, the documentary takes its title from a Hebrew military acronym for “collateral damage.” It received a 25-minute standing ovation at its premiere.

The IDF rejected the film’s allegations, pointing out there were numerous issues with its credibility, including the question how could the anonymous interviewees access the information they discuss. It said claims about national and military strategy went beyond the knowledge of junior soldiers.

The military said it targets terrorist organizations, operates under the laws of armed conflict and takes measures to minimize civilian harm. Addressing allegations concerning artificial intelligence, it said decisions on selecting and approving strikes are made by human personnel.

Abraham and Szor previously co-directed “No Other Land” with Palestinian filmmakers Basel Adra and Hamdan Ballal. That film, about Palestinian communities in the West Bank, won the Academy Award for best documentary feature in 2025.