Culture & Arts 2 min read 4h ago

Gaza Documentary NAZA to Compete for Golden Lion at Venice

NAZA, a documentary directed by Oscar-winning film-makers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, will world-premiere at the Venice film festival as the only documentary in competition for
The film, produced by Jim Wilson and executive produced by Jonathan Glazer of The Zone of Interest, investigates what the film-makers describe as Israel's calculated mass killing
Abraham and Szor are co-directors of No Other Land, the documentary they made alongside Basel Adra and Hamdan Ballal.

A documentary about Israel's bombing campaign in Gaza, directed by Oscar-winning film-makers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, is to receive its world premiere at the Venice film festival, where it will be the sole documentary competing for the prestigious Golden Lion award.

The film and its makers

The documentary, titled NAZA, is directed by Abraham and Szor, who are co-directors of No Other Land alongside Basel Adra and Hamdan Ballal. It has been produced by Jim Wilson and executive produced by Jonathan Glazer — the collaborators responsible for The Zone of Interest. According to the production, the film investigates what it describes as "Israel's calculated mass killing of Palestinian civilians" during the war in Gaza, a characterisation that reflects the film-makers' stated framing rather than a conclusion adjudicated by any independent body.

Significance at Venice

The film's inclusion as the only documentary in competition for the Golden Lion marks an unusual distinction in a category typically dominated by narrative fiction. The Venice film festival's decision to place the work in main competition rather than a parallel strand signals the degree of attention the project has attracted within the international festival circuit. Earlier this year, documentary and non-fiction work also drew significant recognition at Cannes, reflecting a broader shift in how major European festivals are treating factual film-making.

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Context and unresolved questions

The film emerges at a moment of sustained international scrutiny over civilian casualties in Gaza. The United Nations has repeatedly urged greater protection for civilians as the conflict has continued. No response from Israeli authorities to the film's stated characterisation was included in the available material, and no specific screening date at Venice has been confirmed beyond its premiere status. Whether the film's framing will provoke a formal rebuttal from any party remains to be seen. Its arrival at one of cinema's most watched competitive venues ensures that its claims will receive substantial public and critical attention.

##NAZAFilm ##VeniceFilmFestival ##GazaDocumentary

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