Rachel Szor and Yuval Abraham’s documentary “NAZA” has made waves at the Venice Film Festival with a remarkable 24.5-minute standing ovation, setting a new record. The film sheds light on Israel’s alleged use of AI-driven military technologies to target and eliminate Palestinian civilians in Gaza, based on the accounts of 24 Israeli military insiders.
Footage shared on social media captured the emotional moment as the filmmakers, visibly moved, received the prolonged applause. This standing ovation surpasses previous records, including the reception for “The Voice of Hind Rajab” last year and Guillermo del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth” in 2006.
Among the attendees were director Kaouther Ben Hania and producer Nadim Cheikhrouha of “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” along with audience members who displayed Palestinian and Lebanese flags during the event. Shot clandestinely over three years in Tel Aviv, “NAZA” features interviews with Israeli military personnel whose identities are concealed, detailing the alleged use of surveillance systems and AI to target Hamas militants, sometimes resulting in civilian casualties.
In response to the film’s claims, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) issued a statement refuting the allegations and emphasizing that decisions to strike are made by humans, with efforts to minimize harm to civilians. “NAZA,” named after an Israeli military acronym for civilian casualties, serves as a companion piece to Abraham and Szor’s previous award-winning documentary “No Other Land.”
Executive produced by Jonathan Glazer, the film has stirred controversy due to its subject matter. Glazer faced backlash following his 2024 Oscar acceptance speech, where he criticized the Israel-Hamas conflict. The ongoing violence in Gaza remains a focal point, with Abraham highlighting the systemic nature of the situation depicted in the film.
The documentary underscores the ongoing conflict and the toll it has taken on civilians, with over 73,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza since the 2023 attack, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Abraham emphasized the film’s portrayal of the systemic issues at play, urging viewers to recognize the gravity of the situation and the impact on innocent lives.