Gaza Herald – The documentary film “Naza” has been awarded the Special Jury Prize at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival in Italy. The award ceremony took place on Saturday at the historic Lido island venue, which launched its proceedings on September 2. The film, produced by The Guardian and directed by Israeli Oscar winners Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, documents the massacres of civilians in Gaza carried out by Israel.
During its screening at the festival, the documentary received significant acclaim from attendees. It was met with continuous applause lasting twenty-five minutes before the jury announced the prize. Abraham and Szor ascended the stage to accept the honor, thanking the festival organizers for the recognition. Both directors are Israeli nationals who have faced intense scrutiny regarding their work.
Abraham addressed the audience, expressing gratitude to the jury and emphasizing the importance of witnessing the events depicted. He highlighted a campaign of defamation against the film within Israel and noted efforts to prevent the public from seeing the truth. He stated that during the ten days since the festival began, Israel had killed at least six Palestinian children in Gaza.
The director provided specific details about the victims, including a three-year-old girl and a seven-year-old boy killed alongside his father in a car while his sisters slept inside. Abraham asserted that Israeli intelligence officers informed them these massacres were not accidental but systematic, based on deliberate design and policies aimed at demonizing Palestinians entirely.
Abraham credited Palestinian journalists for documenting these facts from the first day, noting that Israel had killed more than two hundred journalists in Gaza. He urged European audiences, particularly in Italy and Germany, to watch the film because their governments were preventing pressure that could end the situation. He also called on Americans to view it, citing US funding as a major factor in the killings.
The title “Naza” refers to an acronym used by Israeli military intelligence to estimate civilian casualties in air strikes. The filmmakers employed various methods to protect participants, shooting secretly on rooftops in Tel Aviv over three years. Digital modifications concealed identities, voices, and features of those interviewed.
Participants described a secret system and methods used by the Israeli army in Gaza. They detailed surveillance systems used in attacks and long-range bombardments, claiming artificial intelligence identifies potential Hamas targets while often striking homes with families inside. Some speakers, linked to a secret intelligence unit reporting directly to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, witnessed residential areas burned and people killed while distributing food.
This report was produced in the Gaza Herald newsroom.
