Guardian Gaza film NAZA to premiere at Venice festival
NAZA, a Guardian-produced Gaza documentary film directed by Oscar winners Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, will receive its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 10. The film is the only documentary competing for the Golden Lion this year and investigates systems behind Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. Coverage of festival and awards news also appears on our Streaming & TV Alerts hub.
Key Takeaways
- NAZA world-premieres in Venice competition on September 10, 2026.
- It is the only feature documentary competing for the Golden Lion this year.
- Directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor co-helmed Oscar-winning No Other Land.
- The Guardian and James Wilson produced it; Jonathan Glazer is an executive producer.
- The title refers to an Israeli military acronym tied to expected civilian deaths in airstrikes.
What is the NAZA film about and who made it?
According to The Guardian, NAZA looks at Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza. Filmmakers said it was shot at night on the rooftops of Tel Aviv and “reveals in detail the systems behind Israel’s calculated mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.”
Abraham and Szor are the two Israeli co-directors of No Other Land, which won the Oscar for best documentary in 2025. The new film builds on investigative reporting from 2023 to 2025 by +972 Magazine, Local Call, and The Guardian.
Producers say the title comes from a military acronym used euphemistically by Israeli intelligence for the number of civilians expected to be killed in an airstrike. The Guardian and James Wilson (JW Films) produced NAZA, with Jonathan Glazer — Wilson’s collaborator on The Zone of Interest — as executive producer.
When and where will the film premiere at Venice?
The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline report that NAZA will have its world premiere at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, which runs September 2–12. The screening is set for September 10 in the Sala Grande (Palazzo del Cinema) at 5:15 p.m., with directors, producers, Guardian journalists, and an official delegation expected.
Abraham and Szor are among directors making their debut in Venice’s main Competition this year, joining a lineup that also includes first-time Competition entries from several other filmmakers.
Why does this Venice competition slot matter?
NAZA is the only feature documentary selected for Competition this year, putting it in contention for Venice’s prestigious Golden Lion alongside narrative features.
The project also links two high-profile documentary teams: the No Other Land directors and the Zone of Interest producing partnership of Wilson and Glazer. A Venice Competition bow gives the film a major early awards-season platform.
Last year’s festival already put the Israel–Gaza conflict on screen with The Voice of Hind Rajab, which won the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize. NAZA extends that focus into Competition with a journalism-backed documentary produced by a major news outlet.