‘NAZA’ Crosses $500,000 at Indie Box Office Without a Distributor

The investigative documentary "NAZA," produced by The Guardian and directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, has become a box office sensation without the backing of a theatrical distributor. The film, which exposes the Israeli Defense Forces' (IDF) alleged war crimes in Gaza following the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, has grossed an impressive $504,074 after playing in 85 theaters across 30 U.S. and Canadian cities.

The film's modest budget has allowed it to achieve substantial success, grossing $298,240 in its initial theatrical run.

"NAZA" is distinct from typical indie films in that the directors have self-distributed the film since its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, where it received a standing ovation and a special jury prize. Abraham and Szor have previously achieved critical acclaim with their Oscar-winning documentary "No Other Land" and other projects exposing Israeli actions in Palestinian territories.

The film's title refers to the IDF's classification for civilian casualties in attacks, with a threshold of 20 victims requiring higher approval.

The documentary features 24 IDF members interviewed in secret, detailing alleged war crimes committed in Gaza. These interviews come from research conducted by +972 Magazine, Local Call, and The Guardian over the past two years. The film has received threats from far-right activists, but a coalition of over 1,500 Israeli filmmakers has rallied to support Abraham and Szor. As for its future, the Guardian plans to release "NAZA" for free online in late November.