LAHORE MIRROR — A documentary examining Israel’s killing of civilians in Gaza will compete at this year’s Venice Film Festival, marking the second consecutive year that a politically charged film about the conflict has entered the prestigious Golden Lion race.
Festival organisers said “NAZA”, directed by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, will join the main programme for the September 2–12 festival. It is the only documentary among this year’s 21 competition entries.
Shot at night on rooftops in Tel Aviv, the film examines what its creators describe as the systems behind the mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
Last year, “The Voice of Hind Rajab”, which recounts the final hours of a Gazan girl trapped in a car under Israeli fire, won second prize at Venice. Its premiere drew a record 23-minute standing ovation.
Palestinian health authorities say more than 73,000 people have died in Gaza since Israel launched its military campaign in October 2023 following Hamas’s attack on Israel, which killed about 1,200 people, according to Israeli figures. Gaza’s Health Ministry does not distinguish between civilians and fighters in its toll.
Israel says it launched the offensive against Hamas and sought to minimise civilian casualties, while accusing the group of operating among civilians. Hamas denies the allegation.
Abraham and Szor previously co-directed “No Other Land”, which won the Academy Award for best documentary feature in 2025 and documented the destruction of a Palestinian community in the occupied West Bank.
The Guardian and James Wilson produced “NAZA”, while Oscar-winning filmmaker Jonathan Glazer served as executive producer. The documentary will premiere in Venice on September 10.
