Gaza War Doc 'N.A.Z.A.' Tops Italian Box Office, Out-earning 'Avengers'

The controversial Israeli documentary 'N.A.Z.A.', which focuses on the war in Gaza, has achieved the number one spot at the Italian box office, surpassing even the re-release of 'Avengers: Endgame'. The film, directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Shor, grossed over $1.2 million in its first two days in Italy, significantly outperforming 'Avengers: Endgame' which earned $404,000 in the same period. 'N.A.Z.A.' was initially planned for a three-day theatrical run in Italy, but high ticket sales led to an extension.

The documentary, which has garnered international attention and praise alongside Israeli criticism, explores the "systems behind the calculated mass killing of Palestinians in Gaza by Israel." It received a lengthy 24-and-a-half-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival, where it won a special jury prize. The film is set to be released in cinemas in over 50 countries worldwide and will be available for free online starting in late November on The Guardian's website, which produced the film.

While 'N.A.Z.A.' has struggled to find a distributor in Israel, it is being released in the US exclusively at New York's IFC Center. The film is based on investigations published by +972 Magazine, Local Call, and The Guardian between 2023 and 2025. Abraham and Shor stated their intention was to examine the systems responsible for the killing of Palestinian civilians, questioning how one group can dehumanize another and the internal workings of such a system.

Abraham and Shor are also directors of 'No Other Land', which won best documentary at last year's Ophir Awards and documented the struggles of Palestinian communities in Masafer Yatta in the southern West Bank. In Israel, protests have occurred outside the home of Rachel Shor's parents, with calls for violence against the filmmakers.