Gaza documentary by Israeli directors wins special prize at Venice
VENICE: A chilling new documentary about Israel’s AI-assisted killing of civilians in Gaza by two Israeli directors won a special jury prize at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday. NAZA , by Oscar-winning directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, had been tipped by some critics for the top Golden Lion prize for best film after a record-breaking 25-minute ovation at its premiere on Thursday. The…
The Israeli documentary NAZA, directed by Oscar-winning filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, received a special jury prize at the 2026 Venice Film Festival. The 80-minute film exposes Israel's use of AI-assisted targeting systems to kill Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Abraham and Szor conducted interviews with 24 Israeli military or intelligence whistleblowers who spoke anonymously.
The documentary sparked outrage and disgust among audience members who described the killing as systemic and systematic. Despite being tipped for the top Golden Lion prize, NAZA was awarded the special jury prize, which is below the Golden and Silver Lions in terms of prestige. The film's director, Abraham, emphasized the importance of Israelis watching the documentary to acknowledge the crimes committed by their country.
Meanwhile, Danish filmmaker May el Toukhy's post-war drama Woman Unknown won the top prize, with actress Mathilde Arcel also taking home the award for best actress. Russian-born filmmaker Ilya Khrzhanovsky won best director for his project DAU, while John Malkovich was named best actor for his role in Martin McDonagh's Wild Horse Nine.
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