NAZA, Israeli film on Gaza, to stream for free after theatrical run
NAZA, a documentary by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor that alleges Israel used an AI system to carry out mass killings in Gaza, will be made available to stream for free on The Guardian’s website from November after its theatrical run across more than 50 countries. The 80-minute film, based on nearly three years of investigation and testimony from masked Israeli military and intelligence sources, has won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival and will premiere in the U.S. at the New York Film Festival.
Why It Matters
The film makes detailed, high-profile accusations about the use of an AI system called Lavender in targeting Palestinians and presents testimony alleging civilian casualties on a large scale; its wide release and awards recognition ensure the claims will reach international audiences and intensify public and political debate about Israeli conduct in Gaza. Domestic political backlash in Israel, including calls to revoke the directors’ citizenship and proposed legislation targeting criticism of soldiers, shows the documentary’s immediate impact on national discourse.
Key Facts
- Directors: Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor
- Streaming availability: Free on The Guardian’s website from November after theatrical rollout
- Theatrical rollout: More than 50 countries; U.S. premiere at New York Film Festival (Saturday)
- Runtime: 80 minutes
- Investigation period: Nearly three years of investigation and interviews with concealed Israeli military and intelligence sources
NAZA, co-directed by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, will be released online for free on The Guardian’s website from November after completing a theatrical run in over 50 countries. Abraham announced the planned streaming availability on X, saying the move was intended to meet strong public demand and allow audiences to see the film either in cinemas or online. The 80-minute documentary is based on almost three years of investigation and features testimony from Israeli military and intelligence sources whose identities are concealed. Those sources describe an AI-driven targeting system called Lavender, which they say leverages Israel’s surveillance of Gaza to identify assassination targets. The film includes accounts that portray the use of the system in stark terms, with one source likening it to a “video game” and another calling it a “mission.” According to interviewees featured in the film, Lavender is believed to operate using mass-surveillance data and may have an error rate of up to 10 percent. One subject in the documentary said an attack was authorised despite awareness that as many as 500 civilians could be killed. The filmmakers frame their work around the wider toll in Gaza, citing the killing of more than 73,000 people, most of them civilians, and describing what they call a normalisation of a war of extermination. NAZA has already attracted international attention, earning the Special Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival and scheduled premieres in countries including the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Canada. The film’s release has provoked a sharp reaction in Israel: Culture Minister Miki Zoha called for the directors to be stripped of their citizenship and labelled their work treasonous, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged legislation to revoke citizenship from people who defame Israeli soldiers. Abraham has defended the film as journalism and urged soldiers who witnessed wrongdoing to testify.
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Original source: Al Jazeera