A new documentary by Oscar-winning Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor exposing Israeli soldiers’ systematic killing in Gaza received a 25-minute ovation at its Venice Film Festival premiere, surpassing the previous record set by The Voice of Hind Rajab, as Palestinian flags were unfurled at the venue.
Yuval and Rachel directed the film, which documents Israel’s AI-assisted system to identify and target suspects in Gaza.
The directors asserted they used their position as Israelis to examine the systems behind the mass killing of Palestinian civilians, for which their country is responsible.
The Israeli filmmakers had previously won the Academy Award for ‘No Other Land’ along with Palestinian directors Basel Adra and Hamdan Ballal.
No Other Land was about the Israeli occupation in West Bank regions, especially in the villages of Masafer Yatta.
British newspaper The Guardian and James Wilson produced the 80-minute documentary.
The latter also produced the Oscar-winning Zone of Interest, and its director, Jonathan Glazer, serves as an executive producer on ‘Naza ‘.
What Is ‘Naza’ About?
The documentary is based on interviews with 24 Israeli intelligence officers and soldiers about their process behind the mass killings in Gaza.
It exposes the AI-based systems, phone surveillance, and related technologies used by the military in Gaza.
The title ‘Naza’ is from a Hebrew acronym the Israeli military uses. It refers to the projected collateral damage each military strike can cause.
‘Naza’ was shot in secret at night on rooftops across Tel Aviv. The filmmakers conducted the interviews anonymously and disguised the subjects’ voices and features to ensure their safety.
The film offers a chilling insight into the people directly involved in the killings. Officers mention up to 500 NAZA being killed to get one suspected terrorist.
The officers also tended to draw parallels to the Nazi Holocaust. “It’s a link that comes from the soldiers,” Abraham noted.
“In a situation where so often you see how the memory of the Holocaust is used as a means to justify Israel’s actions in Gaza, it’s very important to draw a more universal conclusion,” he added.
‘Naza’ is the only documentary among the 21 films competing for the Golden Lion this year.
