Italy
‘NAZA’: Gaza Genocide Documentary Shakes Venice With Historic 25-Minute Ovation: A new documentary exploring the systems behind the killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza has become one of the most discussed films at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. It created history With 24.5-Minute standing 0vation, ever recorded at the festival.
Titled NAZA, the 80-minute British documentary is directed by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, who were among the four co-directors of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land. The film had its world premiere on September 10 in the main competition at Venice, where it is the only documentary competing for the Golden Lion.
A Documentary Built Around Israeli Testimony
Shot largely at night on rooftops in Tel Aviv, NAZA examines the military and intelligence systems used during Israel’s war in Gaza. According to the filmmakers and festival description, the documentary seeks to reveal the mechanisms behind what it characterizes as the calculated mass killing of Palestinian civilians.
The film is based in part on testimony from 24 Israeli military and intelligence insiders, whose identities were concealed. Their voices and appearances were digitally altered, allowing them to discuss their experiences and the systems they say were used during military operations.
Reuters reported that the documentary features accounts from former or current Israeli military insiders concerning targeting practices, surveillance technology and the acceptance of significant civilian casualties as part of military operations.
The filmmakers have said their objective was to allow people involved in these systems to describe, in detail, how they operated rather than simply presenting previously published investigative findings.
What Does ‘NAZA’ Mean?
The title refers to a military term discussed in the documentary concerning the expected number of civilian casualties associated with an airstrike. The film uses the term as a central symbol for the way civilian deaths can become quantified within military decision-making.
The documentary draws on investigations and reporting previously published by The Guardian, +972 Magazine and Local Call, among other sources. The Venice Film Festival describes the film as an investigation into the systems behind the killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
From ‘No Other Land’ to ‘NAZA’
Abraham and Szor previously worked on No Other Land, which documented Palestinian communities facing Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank. The film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
With NAZA, the filmmakers turn their attention from the West Bank to Gaza and, significantly, to the people and systems inside Israel involved in the conduct of the war.
Their approach is notably different from conventional war documentaries. Rather than relying primarily on graphic battlefield footage, NAZA concentrates on testimony, technology, military procedures and the decision-making processes surrounding airstrikes.
A Major Reception at Venice
The film’s Venice premiere generated a 25-minute standing ovation, according to Al Jazeera and AFP, underlining the strong reaction from the festival audience.
The documentary has also attracted strong early critical reviews. As of September 11, 2026, the film reportedly has a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 14 reviews, with an average rating of 9/10. On Metacritic, it has a 96/100 score from 13 critics, classified as “universal acclaim.”
The response has positioned NAZA as one of the most consequential documentary premieres of this year’s festival.
Produced by The Guardian
NAZA is produced by The Guardian and James Wilson’s JW Films, with Jonathan Glazer serving as executive producer. Glazer and Wilson previously collaborated on The Zone of Interest, which won the Academy Award for Best International Feature.
French company mk2 Films has taken worldwide sales rights for the documentary.
A Controversial and Closely Watched Film
The documentary was added to Venice’s competition lineup relatively late, with the festival announcing its inclusion on August 24. It was selected as the final addition to the Competition section and became the only documentary feature competing for the Golden Lion.
Its premiere comes amid continuing international debate over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, civilian casualties, the use of artificial intelligence and surveillance in warfare, and allegations of violations of international humanitarian law.
The film does not attempt to present the conflict as a conventional battlefield narrative. Instead, it asks how military systems can transform individual human lives into numbers, targets and calculated risks.
Beyond the Headlines
For Abraham and Szor, NAZA represents a continuation of their effort to examine the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from inside Israeli society.
Its significance at Venice extends beyond the competition itself. The documentary places testimony from Israeli insiders at the centre of a global cinematic discussion about Gaza, military accountability and the moral consequences of technological warfare.
Following its Venice premiere, NAZA is scheduled for additional festival screenings, including its North American premiere at the 2026 New York Film Festival, while mk2 Films is handling international sales.
As the Venice competition moves toward its awards ceremony, NAZA has emerged as one of the festival’s most politically charged and critically acclaimed films — and potentially one of the year’s most important documentary releases.
