NAZA documentary draws global praise as it opens in cinemas worldwide
Critics from the FT, the New York Times, Le Monde and others have praised NAZA, a Guardian-produced documentary about Israel's military campaign in Gaza.
At a glance
- NAZA, produced by the Guardian, opened in UK cinemas this week and will screen in more than 50 countries.
- The film features 24 anonymous interviews with Israeli military insiders and won the special jury prize at Venice.
- Critics from the FT, NYT, Le Monde and others praised it; it will stream free on the Guardian site from late November.
NAZA, the Guardian-produced documentary about Israel's military campaign in Gaza, opened in UK cinemas this week and is being shown in more than 50 countries, drawing praise from critics who have described it as harrowing, essential and impossible to ignore.
The film, which its producer says details the mass killing of civilians in Gaza, is built around 24 interviews with Israeli military insiders speaking anonymously on the rooftops of Tel Aviv at night. It will also be available free on the Guardian's website from late November.
What the critics say
The Financial Times gave the documentary five stars, with critic Danny Leigh saying that journalism and film-making "brilliantly entwine". The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw awarded four stars, writing that the "anguish of Gaza is brought into pin-sharp focus". The Times called NAZA "hugely provocative and a disturbing account", and the Irish Times described it as an "essential record of engineered nightmare".
British Vogue said it was a "brilliant and harrowing film" that "feels destined to become an enduring historical document". Time Out said it assembled a "damning case" against Israel's actions in Gaza. The New York Times named it a critic's choice, calling it "haunting" and "tough to watch, and impossible to ignore", while New York magazine called it one of the most important films of our time.
The Los Angeles Times called NAZA "stone-cold frightening", the Hollywood Reporter described it as a "sober and thoroughly documented bombshell of an expose", and the Toronto Star said it was "heartbreaking but essential viewing".
Reaction in Europe and beyond
Spain's El Mundo called NAZA "the film of our time". France's Le Monde said it had the effect of an uppercut that leaves the viewer stunned, and Denmark's Soundvenue called it a "soul-crushing testimony". The United Arab Emirates' state-owned newspaper the National called it a "sickeningly tough film to watch", while an editorial in the Israeli outlet Haaretz said the film was trying to force Israelis to confront what they already know about Israel's conduct of the war.
When NAZA opened in Italy last month it topped the charts. Corriere della Sera said the film lasts only 80 minutes but that no more is needed.
Venice premiere and awards
The documentary premiered at the Venice film festival, where it received a 25-minute standing ovation, a festival record, and went on to win the special jury prize.
According to the film, the interviews detail how an AI-assisted apparatus of mass surveillance was activated during the Gaza war, revealing systems used to target Hamas operatives in the knowledge that large numbers of Palestinian civilians would also die.
Various bodies, including the UN, Amnesty International, B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights — the latter two Israeli-based — have said Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
Source: The Guardian.
Questions and answers
- What is the NAZA documentary about?
- It examines Israel's military campaign in Gaza, drawing on 24 anonymous interviews with Israeli military insiders about an AI-assisted mass surveillance system used during the war.
- Where can I watch NAZA?
- It is showing in UK cinemas and in more than 50 countries. It will also be available free on the Guardian's website from late November.
- What awards has NAZA won?
- It premiered at the Venice film festival, where it received a 25-minute standing ovation, a festival record, and went on to win the special jury prize.
