Gaza war documentary ‘NAZA’ receives record 24.5-minute ovation at Venice

Gaza war documentary “NAZA” received a record 24-and-a-half-minute standing ovation after its premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Thursday, with organisers describing it as the longest such reception in the festival’s history and among major international film festivals.

The documentary, directed by Oscar-winning Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor of “No Other Land” fame, premiered in the main competition. The emotional reception saw audiences rise to their feet, with several spectators waving Palestinian flags as the filmmakers and others in the theatre became visibly emotional.

Oscar-winning director Jonathan Glazer, an executive producer of the film, was also present at the premiere. He embraced Abraham and Szor after the screening.

According to its official synopsis, “NAZA” examines Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and the systems behind civilian deaths. The title comes from a Hebrew military term or acronym that the filmmakers say is used by Israeli intelligence agencies to refer to potential civilian casualties, or “collateral damage”, from airstrikes.

The film was secretly shot over three years on rooftops across Tel Aviv and features interviews with 24 Israeli intelligence officers and soldiers, exploring how military decisions are made.

Abraham told Variety that the filmmakers, as Israeli citizens, used their access to people who had served in the military to examine how a system described as genocidal by human rights organisations operates.

A joint production of The Guardian and JW Films, “NAZA” was added to Venice’s main competition after the initial lineup was announced as final work was completed. It is the only documentary in this year’s competition.

The previous Venice record was held by Kaouther Ben Hania’s “The Voice of Hind Rajab”, which received a 22-minute standing ovation last year. Ben Hania, whose film depicts the killing of six-year-old Hind Rajab in Gaza, is serving on this year’s main competition jury. The festival winners will be announced on Saturday.