Israeli Documentary 'NAZA' Receives Record-Breaking Ovation at Venice Film Festival
The 25-minute documentary 'NAZA' by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor earned a 25-minute standing ovation at its Venice premiere, setting a new festival record and sparking discussion over its depiction of Israeli military targeting in Gaza.
Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor saw their 25-minute documentary NAZA greeted with a 25-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival, the longest applause recorded for any film at a major festival. The documentary examines Israeli military targeting practices in Gaza, drawing on interviews with 24 Israeli intelligence officers and soldiers to detail the use of AI, phone surveillance and point-based systems that calculate potential civilian casualties before strikes.
The record applause surpassed the previous high of nearly 24 minutes set by The Voice of Hind Rajab at last year’s festival and the 22-minute response to Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth. Jury member Kaouther Ben Hania, director of The Voice of Hind Rajab, and producer Nadim Cheikhrouha were present during the screening.
Producer James Wilson and executive producer Jonathan Glazer, known for the Oscar-winning The Zone of Interest, attended the premiere alongside the directors. Audience members displayed Palestinian and Lebanese flags, prompting a brief security response that was ultimately not enforced. Festival director Alberto Barbera, who was on hand, joined the ovation and expressed support for the filmmakers.
Abraham told Deadline that the film reveals how the Israeli targeting system treats each family home in Gaza as a basic unit for strike decisions, assigning a numerical value to potential civilian deaths. "When they are in civilian spaces, when they go back home, that is one of the most striking revelations of the film," he said.
NAZA is a co-production of Guardian Documentaries, JW Films, Placeholder Films and Unseen Hand, with sales handled by Mk2.