VENICE, Italy: The NAZA Venice award saw the Gaza-focused documentary by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor win the Special Jury Prize at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival.
Guardian Documentaries and James Wilson of JW Films produced the film, while filmmaker Jonathan Glazer served as an executive producer. MK2 handles global sales and distribution.
NAZA examines Israeli military operations in Gaza through testimony from Israeli military and intelligence sources, according to the supplied material. The documentary was filmed on rooftops in Tel Aviv.
During his acceptance remarks, Abraham said intelligence officers interviewed for the film described Palestinian civilian deaths as systemic and “not by accident, but by design.
He also accused the United States and European governments of enabling Israeli actions. Those statements reflect Abraham’s characterisation of the conflict and the documentary’s allegations.
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They should not be read here as independently established legal findings about genocide or individual criminal responsibility. Guardian Documentaries producer Lindsay Poulton said the award recognised journalism-driven filmmaking.
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Executive producer Nicole Jackson said the team would announce plans for a global theatrical release later. The award also drew criticism.
From Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar, who called the documentary “vile” in a post on X and accused its filmmakers of treason.t.
