GAZA DOCUMENTARY NAZA EARNS RECORD 25-MINUTE STANDING OVATION

Scott A Garfitt/Invision/The Associated Press

Summary:

• Directors Rachel Szor and Yuval Abraham premiered Naza at the Venice Film Festival to a record-breaking 25-minute standing ovation.
• Produced by The Guardian, Plus 972 Magazine, and Local Call, the documentary investigates military target selection in Gaza.
• Twenty-four Israeli intelligence officers and soldiers provided testimonies detailing how civilian casualties are logged in automated systems.

Venice Film Festival Host Historic Premiere for Gaza Investigative Documentary

Filmmakers Rachel Szor and Yuval Abraham premiered their documentary Naza at the Venice Film Festival, drawing an unprecedented 25-minute standing ovation-nearly half an hour of continuous applause and waving Palestinian flags, setting a festival record. The project brought international attention to the Venice competition, combining investigative reporting with first-hand military testimonies. Produced by the documentary division of The Guardian alongside Israeli-Palestinian partners +972 Magazine and Local Call, the film builds on the direct journalistic approach of Abraham’s previous award-winning work, No Other Land.

The title Naza refers to military jargon defining collateral damage and sacrificed civilians during targeted strikes. Within internal operations, soldiers count these human casualties like scores in a video game-logging 20, 50, or 100 Naza per operation. Twenty-four intelligence officers and active-duty personnel provided accounts detailing the daily routines behind large-scale targeting. These testimonies describe how automated algorithms, collateral limits, and digital tracking systems transform systematic destruction into standard administrative routine.

The premiere in Venice highlighted growing international engagement with investigative media covering Middle Eastern conflicts. Intelligence staff in the film explain how direct target selection operates, how collateral numbers enter software without human review, and how command structures approve limits during active phases. By cross-referencing veteran testimonies with satellite imagery and field logs, Naza provides a permanent record of military protocols and human impact in Gaza.