Israeli Filmmakers' Gaza War Documentary Receives Standing Ovation, Palestinian Flags at Venice

The documentary film "NAZA," by Israeli directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Shore, premiered at the Venice Film Festival's main competition, receiving an exceptionally long standing ovation and the waving of Palestinian flags. The film, based on testimonies from 24 Israeli soldiers and officers involved in the Gaza war, offers a sharp critique of the Israeli military's operations and targeting systems in the Strip. The title "NAZA" is an acronym for "collateral damage" and also echoes the sound of Gaza.

The film features interviews with soldiers, including intelligence personnel, who participated in planning and executing strikes. Their identities are concealed, their voices altered, and interviews were filmed at night on Tel Aviv rooftops. Archival footage contrasts the early Israeli control of Gaza with the development of Tel Aviv and the destruction of Gaza. While acknowledging the October 7th attacks from an Israeli perspective, the filmmakers state their primary goal is to protest what they define as genocide in Gaza.

Some interviewees draw comparisons to the Holocaust and historical dehumanization processes. Abraham clarified that these comparisons originated from the soldiers themselves, emphasizing the need for a universal conclusion from the memory of the Holocaust, rather than using it to justify actions in Gaza. Shore explained that the film amplifies existing testimonies by presenting the witnesses on camera.

Abraham stated the film aims to expose an ongoing, organized killing method, urging the breaking of the "silence barrier" regarding Gaza. The filmmakers described a lengthy journalistic investigation to find interviewees from the intelligence community willing to speak about their roles. They noted that Palestinians in Gaza had already documented and shared their experiences, but they chose to add the perspective of those who tracked victims and authorized strikes on families.

The directors stressed that "NAZA" focuses on the entire system, not isolated incidents or soldiers acting against orders. They assert that the "mass killing of the Palestinian civilian population in Gaza was a deliberate, calculated, and premeditated systemic act." They concluded that the decision to destroy Gaza is an Israeli choice, and the film reveals the policy behind it through the accounts of those who participated.