Gaza Documentary Produced by The Guardian to Receive World Premiere at Venice Film Festival

A documentary examining "Israel's calculated mass killing of Palestinian civilians" during the war is set to receive its world premiere at the Venice film festival. The film, called Naza, was directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, co-directors of No Other Land, which won the Oscar for best documentary in 2025.

Naza builds on original investigative reporting between 2023 and 2025 by publications including The Guardian, +972, and Hebrew-language outlet Local Call. According to the filmmakers, the film reveals "in detail the systems behind Israel's calculated mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza," shot at night on the rooftops of Tel Aviv.

Abraham and Szor produced Naza with Jim Wilson and were executive-produced by Jonathan Glazer, who worked on The Zone of Interest. The documentary will compete for Venice's prestigious Golden Lion award this year, making it the sole competitor in its category.

The production team behind Naza includes directors Basel Adra and Hamdan Ballal, alongside Abraham and Szor. Following No Other Land's Oscar win, Ballal faced assault and brief arrest by Israeli settlers. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences later apologized for failing to name Ballal or the film in a statement of support.

This film comes amidst ongoing global discussions about accountability and human rights violations, highlighting the importance of documentaries like Naza in sparking necessary conversations about systemic injustices. With its Venice premiere approaching, viewers can expect a sobering examination of these issues.