Full Breakdown
NAZA’s Venice Premiere: A Record Ovation for a Controversial Gaza Documentary
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
On September 10, 2026, the 83rd Venice Film Festival screened the world premiere of NAZA, an 80-minute documentary by Israeli journalists Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor. The film, the only documentary in competition for the Golden Lion, received a standing ovation of about 25 minutes—the longest ever recorded at Venice.
Background & Context
The documentary draws on investigative reporting from +972 Magazine, Local Call, and The Guardian covering the period after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack and Israel’s subsequent campaign in Gaza. Abraham and Szor previously co-directed the 2025 Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land.
Data & Statistics
- “NAZA” is a Hebrew military acronym for the projected number of civilian casualties in an airstrike.
- Israeli health authorities report more than 73,000 Palestinian deaths in Gaza, about half civilians.
- The film alleges that the Israeli military’s AI-assisted system “Lavender,” using data from hacked phones, can produce target lists that result in up to 500 civilian deaths per strike.
Official Statements & Responses
- Yuval Abraham said the filmmakers asked officers to describe their actions, noting the targeting system “is, by design, targeting people in civilian spaces, in their family homes.”
- Rachel Szor added that the film shows how life in Tel Aviv continues while the war rages.
- Naftali Bennett, former Israeli prime minister, condemned the film on September 11, 2026, calling it “a horrific blood libel” and accusing the directors of spreading a false narrative.
Criticism & Opposition
Bennett’s condemnation is the only named official opposition in the source material. He warned that the documentary’s portrayal of “genocide” could fuel anti-Israeli sentiment.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Film vs. IDF: The documentary claims civilian deaths are “routinely built into” targeting decisions, citing officer testimony. The IDF says strikes are evaluated for proportionality but offers no independent verification.
- Casualty Figures: Gaza’s Health Ministry reports >73,000 deaths; Israeli officials do not dispute the number but attribute it to Hamas using civilians as human shields.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Abraham said: “We just told these officers and soldiers, please describe to us what you did.” — Yuval Abraham
- “We show in our film a targeting system that is, by design, targeting people in civilian spaces, in their family homes,” — Yuval Abraham
- “It’s a horrific blood libel against our sons and daughters.” — Naftali Bennett
Why It Matters
The ovation highlights audience interest in the moral and technical aspects of modern warfare. By presenting insider testimony, NAZA challenges official narratives about Israel’s military conduct and raises questions about AI-driven targeting and civilian casualty calculations. Its presence in the Golden Lion competition brings these issues to a global cinematic audience.
What’s Next
- September 23, 2026: Screening at the San Sebastián International Film Festival.
- September 26, 2026: Screening at the New York Film Festival.
- September 12, 2026: Venice jury announces the Golden Lion winner.
The controversy surrounding NAZA underscores the intersection of documentary filmmaking, wartime secrecy, and international scrutiny of military practices.
