Venice Adds ‘Naza,’ Documentary From ‘No Other Land’ Directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, to Competition

Venice Film Festival organizers have announced that a documentary exploring Israel's alleged civilian killings in Gaza will be part of their September 2-12 competition, marking the second consecutive year such a contentious work has been featured. The film, "NAZA," directed by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, will be the sole documentary among the festival's 21 contenders.

Last year's entry, "The Voice of Hind Rajab," which chronicles a tragic incident involving a Gazan girl and earned significant acclaim, won second prize at Venice. "NAZA" was filmed at night on Tel Aviv rooftops and aims to shed light on the methods behind Israel's reported mass killings of Palestinian civilians in Gaza during the country's 2023 military campaign, following Hamas's attack on October 7, 2023.

The death toll in Gaza is estimated at over 73,000, according to Palestinian health authorities, while Israel claims its actions were focused on Hamas while denying civilian harm, a claim Hamas disputes. Abraham and Szor are co-directors of "No Other Land," which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2025. The film delves into the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

"NAZA" was produced by Britain's Guardian newspaper and James Wilson, with executive production by Jonathan Glazer, Oscar-winning director of the 2023 Holocaust drama "The Zone of Interest." Wilson and Glazer also served as producers for "The Voice of Hind Rajab." Israeli authorities recently initiated a criminal investigation into the incident that led to the girl's death.

"NAZA" is scheduled to premiere at Venice on September 10, joining a roster of high-profile films from directors Martin McDonagh, Florian Zeller, Danny Boyle, Werner Herzog, and Hirokazu Kore-eda.