Venice Film Festival: A Film about the Massacre in Gaza Receives a 25-Minute Standing Ovation

A new documentary film made by two Israeli Oscar-winning filmmakers, which focuses on the killing of Palestinian civilians by Israeli forces in Gaza, has received widespread acclaim at the Venice Film Festival, with the audience giving it a continuous 25-minute standing ovation.  According to AFP, audiences applauded filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor for 25 minutes after the screening of the film. It is believed to be a new record at the Venice Film Festival, as another film about Gaza received a 23-minute ovation last year. In their film “NAZA,” Abraham and Szor included conversations with 24 Israeli military or intelligence personnel who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity. 

Abraham said, “We simply wanted the soldiers and officers themselves to explain what they had done. The goal was very simple: we wanted to hear, in as much detail as possible, what the system of killing in Gaza looked like and how it operated.” The 80-minute film shocked viewers as the interviewees said they felt as if they were working in a “killing factory” or a “lethal video game.” 

The title “NAZA” is derived from an Israeli intelligence term used to indicate the expected number of civilian casualties in an airstrike.  Film magazine Screen described the documentary as “deeply necessary” and “conscience-shaking,” while The Hollywood Reporter wrote that it provokes anger, humiliation and deep hatred toward the Israeli military.  According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, around 73,500 Palestinians have been killed and more than 174,000 injured in Israeli bombardments since October 2023. These figures are considered credible by international organizations. The attacks began after the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Palestinian militants, in which more than 1,200 Israelis were killed.

In “NAZA,” the men and women whose voices and faces have been digitally altered describe an AI system called “Lavender,” which was used to identify people as targets for killing.  Lavender used data collected through surveillance of Gaza’s telecommunications network to select targets based on phone calls, movements and connections. One interviewee said the system’s parameters were so complex that they were difficult to understand.  Others described the systematic destruction of homes, violations of international humanitarian and wartime laws, and a general atmosphere of hatred toward Palestinians.

One witness said, “It is exactly like a video game because everything is done remotely.” Produced after nearly three years of research, “NAZA” is the only documentary film competing at this year’s Venice Film Festival, which will conclude on Saturday.  Abraham said, “Those of us fighting for change inside Israel and Palestine need this. When you do nothing about the situation in Gaza, you weaken those who support human rights and a political solution.”