Gaza documentary ‘Naza’ wins Special Jury Prize at Venice

The documentary "Naza," which examines Israel's use of AI-assisted systems to identify and track targets in Gaza, won the Special Jury Prize at the 83rd Venice Film Festival on Saturday, capping a festival run that included a record-breaking standing ovation at its premiere.variety+1

The Golden Lion for best film went to May el-Toukhy's "Woman Unknown," starring John Malkovich, while "Naza" — the only documentary among 21 films competing for the top prize — claimed one of the jury's other honors.hollywoodreporter+1

A Record Ovation and a Charged Acceptance Speech

Directed by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, the 80-minute film features testimony from 24 Israeli military and intelligence personnel who spoke anonymously about operations in Gaza. The title refers to an Israeli military term for the number of civilians expected to be killed in an air strike.siasat+1

At its premiere on September 10, the film received roughly a 25-minute standing ovation, surpassing the record set last year by "The Voice of Hind Rajab," another Gaza-related film that won second prize at Venice.aljazeera+1

Accepting the award, Abraham said the Israeli intelligence personnel interviewed in the film described the mass killing of Palestinians as "systemic, not by accident, but by design". He cited the deaths of Palestinian children during the 10 days of the festival, including a three-year-old girl killed at a bombed school and two sisters killed while sleeping at home. Abraham urged Israeli, European, and American audiences to watch the documentary, saying "it's our country that is doing these crimes".aljazeera+1

Responses and Context

The Israel Defence Forces rejected the allegations in the documentary, disputing whether the identities of the anonymous interviewees could be independently verified. The IDF said decisions on selecting and approving strikes are made by human personnel, not AI, and that it operates in accordance with international law.siasat

The documentary was produced by The Guardian and James Wilson, with Oscar-winning filmmaker Jonathan Glazer serving as executive producer. Abraham and Szor previously co-directed "No Other Land," which won an Oscar earlier this year.abcnews.com+1

"Naza" marks the second consecutive year that a documentary about the Gaza conflict has competed for the Golden Lion, following "The Voice of Hind Rajab" in 2025. Israel's bombardment of Gaza has killed around 73,500 Palestinians since October 2023, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.The Mighty 790 KFGO | KFGO+2