Israeli Directors' Gaza War Film Wins Venice Jury Prize

The new documentary "No Other Land" by Israeli directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Shore, creators of the Oscar-winning film "No Other Land," has received the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival. Following its premiere screening, the film was met with a standing ovation lasting an unprecedented 24 and a half minutes, reportedly the longest in the festival's history.

The approximately 80-minute film, the sole documentary selected for the festival's official competition this year, examines the process of selecting targets for Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip during the war. It is based, in part, on testimonies from 24 Israeli intelligence officers, soldiers, and security personnel.

Abraham, speaking on behalf of the filmmakers, stated, "I want to make it clear: the truth was documented in real-time from day one by Palestinian journalists. We believe that the denial of the crime is what allows it to continue. Therefore, we think it is important for Israelis to watch it." The film aims to expose, according to Abraham, "the systems behind the calculated killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza."

The documentary draws on investigations published between 2023 and 2025 in +972 Magazine, Local Call, and The Guardian. Abraham and Shore were two of the four directors of the previous film "No Other Land," which won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature last year. During the ovation in Venice, Palestinian flags were visible in the audience, and the directors appeared emotional. Executive producer Jonathan Glazer, an Oscar-winning director himself, joined the applause and embraced Abraham and Shore.

The previous record for applause at the festival was set last year by Kaouther Ben Hania's film "Four Daughters," which received a 22-minute ovation. "No Other Land" surpassed this record by over two minutes and is now considered a prominent contender for the Golden Lion award.