The Venice-winning documentary NAZA, directed by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, has made a striking impact at the Italian box office, outperforming the recently rereleased Marvel blockbuster Avengers: Endgame Encore. The film, which premiered in Italian cinemas on Monday, 28 September, grossed approximately €1.1 million by the following day, while the Marvel rerelease—featuring new scenes tying into the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday—took in only €356,000 over the same period, according to The Guardian.
A film born of secrecy and moral urgency
Shot covertly at night from rooftops in Tel Aviv during the ongoing Gaza war, NAZA features interviews with 24 Israeli military intelligence officers, soldiers, and whistleblowers. Their faces and voices are digitally altered to protect their identities. The documentary details how Palestinian civilians are targeted, and how strikes are carried out using AI and automated surveillance in military targeting systems, even when Israeli forces are aware of civilian presence in the areas being hit.
The 80-minute film builds on investigative reporting published between 2023 and 2025 by the Israeli-Palestinian outlet +972 Magazine, the Hebrew-language Local Call, and The Guardian. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it received the Special Jury Prize and a record-breaking 25-minute standing ovation.
Abraham and Szor, who previously collaborated on the Oscar-winning No Other Land, said in a joint statement: “We made this film out of a sense of obligation to use our position as Israelis to examine the systems behind the mass killing of Palestinian civilians for which our country is responsible.” They added: “While filming over the past three years, we found ourselves asking the very questions that were asked by our grandparents’ generation and throughout the 20th century: how does one group of people allow the total dehumanisation of another? What do the inner workings of such a system look like?”
The documentary’s success in Italy has been remarkable. Originally booked for a three-day theatrical run, it has been extended due to sold-out screenings, with more than 150 cinemas across the country expected to continue showing it. Andrea Romeo, founder of I Wonder Pictures, the film’s Italian distributor, told La Repubblica: “As long as theatres want to show it, NAZA will continue to be screened.”
The film’s global release is scheduled for later this month, and its impact is already being felt beyond Italy. In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has attacked the filmmakers, accusing them of contributing to “global antisemitic incitement.” In a video posted on Telegram, Netanyahu said: “It’s shocking. We are fighting global antisemitic incitement and when it comes from within us it is intolerable. And now two Israeli directors portraying the IDF as war criminals receive applause at the Venice festival.”
Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar went further, equating criticism of Israel’s actions with antisemitism and announcing that he would “act immediately to revoke the Israeli citizenship” of Abraham and Szor. The directors have faced harassment at home, including graffiti in Ashdod labelling them “traitors.”
The controversy surrounding NAZA echoes broader debates across Europe about the limits of criticism of Israel and the role of art in documenting conflict. The film’s strong performance in Italy—a country with a vibrant cinematic tradition and a history of politically engaged documentaries—suggests that audiences are eager for nuanced perspectives on the Gaza war. As NAZA prepares for its global rollout, its box office success in Europe may signal a shift in how such stories are received.
For those following the story, the film's European cinema rollout has been closely watched, and the political backlash in Israel continues to generate headlines. The documentary’s Italian triumph is a testament to the power of independent filmmaking to challenge official narratives and spark public debate.
