The documentary by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor received a lengthy standing ovation after its premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
VENICE – Web Desk : The documentary “NAZA,” which examines civilian deaths in Gaza through testimonies from Israeli intelligence officers and soldiers, received a lengthy standing ovation following its premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
The film was directed by Israeli journalists and filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, who are also known for their Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land. The film premiered in competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival.
Emotional response at Venice
The audience stood and applauded for around 25 minutes after the screening, according to reports from the festival. The response was described as one of the longest standing ovations in the festival’s history.
The extended applause surpassed the roughly 24-minute ovation received by The Voice of Hind Rajab at last year’s Venice Film Festival.
What is ‘NAZA’ about?
The documentary is based on interviews with 24 anonymous Israeli military intelligence officers and soldiers. According to the filmmakers and the film’s interviewees, it examines the systems and procedures used during Israeli military operations in Gaza and their impact on Palestinian civilians.
The film explores the use of technology and AI-assisted systems in military targeting. Some interviewees describe an intelligence system known as “Lavender”, which was reportedly used to identify potential targets using information gathered from Gaza’s monitored communications networks.
The allegations and accounts presented in the documentary concern the conduct of Israeli military operations. They represent the testimony and claims of the film’s interviewees and should not be treated as independently established facts in every instance.
Film enters Venice competition
“NAZA” is competing for the Golden Lion, the top prize at the Venice Film Festival. Its premiere comes as the Gaza war continues to dominate international political and humanitarian debate.
The film’s reception has also renewed attention on the role of cinema in documenting the conflict and presenting testimony from people directly involved in military operations.
Abraham and Szor have sought to use the documentary to examine what they describe as systemic practices rather than focusing solely on individual incidents.
