‘NAZA’ documentary on Israel’s AI targeting system breaks Venice record with 25-minute standing ovation
VENICE, Sept 11 — A chilling new documentary about Israel’s AI-powered mass killing of civilians in Gaza fro...
A groundbreaking documentary about Israel's AI-driven targeting system during the Gaza conflict has captivated the Venice Film Festival audience, eliciting a 25-minute standing ovation during its premiere. The film, "NAZA," directed by Oscar-winning filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, features confidential testimony from 24 Israeli military and intelligence whistleblowers.
The 80-minute film explores the workings of an AI system called "Lavender," which was allegedly used to identify civilians for targeted assassination. The system relied on mass surveillance of Gaza, where the entire telecommunications network is monitored by Israel, to pinpoint targets through phone calls, movements, and interactions.
One interviewee described the system as "working in a killing factory" or "a lethal video game." The film, which draws its name from a term used by Israeli intelligence to estimate the number of civilians killed in an airstrike, has been described as an "urgent, gut-punch" by critics. Ovations at film festivals can be manipulated, but they offer insight into the impact of a film on its viewers.
"NAZA" is the sole documentary in competition at this year's Venice Film Festival, set to conclude on Saturday.
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