Gaza documentary Naza set for Middle East cinema release after Venice win

The award-winning Gaza documentary Naza is set to be released in cinemas across the Middle East, with regional distribution secured as part of a wider international rollout.

Directed by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor , the film has secured theatrical distribution in 56 territories following its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 10.

The Middle East is among the markets where distribution has been secured, alongside the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand, Canada, Brazil and Turkey. Specific release dates and cinemas for the Middle East have yet to be announced.

The international rollout begins on Monday, when Naza will open in Italy for a three-day event release across 500 screens.

The film will then begin its US theatrical run on September 30 at the IFC Centre in New York before expanding to Los Angeles and other cities on October 9 and receiving a wider national release.

The US rollout is being led by The Guardian and French sales company MK2 rather than through a traditional studio or independent distributor.

After its theatrical run, Naza will be available to watch globally for free on The Guardian 's website.

The Guardian produced the documentary alongside James Wilson of JW Films, with Oscar-winning British filmmaker Jonathan Glazer serving as executive producer.

What is Naza about?

The documentary examines Israeli military and intelligence operations during the war in Gaza and the killing of Palestinian civilians.

Shot at night on rooftops in Tel Aviv, it features interviews with members of Israel's intelligence and military services who spoke on condition of anonymity. The filmmakers say the documentary examines the systems behind the killing of civilians in Gaza and the processes used to determine acceptable civilian casualties during air strikes.

Its title comes from a military acronym used by Israeli intelligence to refer to the number of civilians expected to be killed in an air strike.

Abraham and Szor said they made the film out of “a sense of obligation” as Israeli filmmakers and journalists to examine their country's conduct in Gaza.

“While filming members of Israel's military on rooftops at night in Tel Aviv over the past three years, we found ourselves asking the very questions that were asked by our grandparents' generation and throughout the 20th century: how does one group of people allow the total dehumanisation of another?” they said in a statement.

“Many of the revelations in the film were published almost immediately as we learnt of them, in the months following the October 7 attacks , by The Guardian , in collaboration with reporting partners +972 Magazine and Local Call .”

They said the documentary allows them to explore beyond their investigative reporting, including “not only the words being said but also those that are not said, the silence”.

From Venice success to backlash in Israel

Naza received a record-breaking 25-minute standing ovation at its Venice premiere before going on to win the Special Jury Prize .

Abraham and Szor previously worked together on No Other Land , alongside Palestinian filmmakers Basel Adra and Hamdan Ballal. The film, which follows Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature this year.

The reception to Naza has been markedly different in Israel, where the film and its directors have faced criticism from senior political figures.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other political figures have called for the directors to be stripped of their Israeli citizenship, while Netanyahu has said he would seek legislation allowing citizenship to be revoked from people who he says “smear” Israeli soldiers and “defame” the country.

Right-wing activists also gathered outside Szor's parents' home, where police and border police officers were deployed. One protester called for the “death penalty for traitors” and demanded that the homes of the filmmakers' families be demolished.

More than 1,500 Israeli filmmakers have since signed a petition expressing solidarity with Abraham and Szor, and defending freedom of expression, while 43 Israeli human rights organisations have urged authorities to stop what they described as incitement and threats against the pair.

The filmmakers said the reaction would not prevent the documentary from reaching audiences.

“The threats from the Israeli government to revoke our citizenship and the death threats do not change that and will not stop the film,” they said.

“We thank our colleagues for the solidarity and look forward to sharing Naza all over the world very soon.”

The film has also been offered to distributors and cinemas in Israel. The Guardian said it is exploring other ways for Naza to be shown in the occupied Palestinian territories.