The late festival addition NAZA,
a documentary focusing on the war in Gaza and what Israeli military insiders describe as the systemic killing of Palestinian civilians, received a 25-minute standing ovation at the 83rd Venice Film Festival, according to NPR. This reception marks the longest standing ovation on record at the festival, surpassing the 24-minute ovation that followed the premiere of last year’s The Voice of Hind Rajab,
as reported by Al Jazeera.
Record-Breaking Ovation at the 83rd Venice Film Festival
The 80-minute film is the only documentary competing for the Golden Lion award at this year’s festival, which concludes on Saturday. Co-directed by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, the documentary is the result of a nearly three-year investigation built on testimony from Israeli military and intelligence sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Inside the Investigative Documentary
According to Al Jazeera, the filmmakers filmed interviewees at night on Tel Aviv rooftops, utilizing digital alterations to conceal their voices and faces. We are letting the soldiers and the officers speak about what they did,
Abraham told the AFP news agency, adding that the goal was to understand in detail how the systems of killing operated in Gaza.
The film examines Israel’s use of artificial intelligence systems to target Palestinians, including an AI-assisted system referred to as Lavender
that drew on monitored telecommunications networks, movements, and interactions to identify targets. Interviewees in the documentary described the process as operating on a mass scale like a factory,
with one participant comparing it to a video game because it is done remotely and feels insanely fun.
Furthermore, sources in the film discussed the destruction of civilian homes and a general atmosphere of hatred toward Palestinians, noting that intelligence personnel witnessed firsthand that the homes they were incriminating were filled with families. In a joint writing piece in +972 Magazine, Abraham and Szor concluded that the killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza
was not a tragic byproduct of a war against Hamas, but rather a calculated and intentional act.Production Background and Festival Context
Directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor previously won an Oscar in 2025 for No Other Land,
a documentary concerning Israeli settler pogroms in the occupied West Bank created alongside Palestinian co-directors Basel Adra and Hamdan Ballal. NAZA
was produced by Jim Wilson of the United Kingdom alongside The Guardian and filmmakers behind The Zone of Interest,
as noted by The Hartford Courant. The project builds on reporting published between 2023 and 2025 by +972 Magazine, the Hebrew-language outlet Local Call, and The Guardian.
Critical responses to the premiere were strong. The UK-based trade publication Screen International characterized the film as an urgent, gut-punch,
while The Hollywood Reporter stated that it inspired outrage… indignity as well. Most certainly disgust, on a profound level, for the current Israeli regime.
The competition jury is led by Maggie Gyllenhaal and includes Kaouther Ben Hania, whose film about the death of a 6-year-old girl in Gaza, The Voice of Hind Rajab,
won the festival’s Silver Lion award last year. Festival organizers announced that jury awards, including the Golden Lion for best film, will be presented at the conclusion of the 83rd edition of the event.
