Newsletters
The documentary "NAZA," which examines the conduct of the Israeli military in Gaza, received the Jury Prize at the 83rd Venice Film Festival.
The award ceremony took place on the Lido, an island off the coast of Venice, Italy, where the festival began on Sept. 2. "NAZA" had also been among the films competing for the festival's top prize, the Golden Lion.
Produced by the British newspaper The Guardian and directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, the film received a 25-minute standing ovation after its screening. Both directors have previously received Oscar recognition. Accepting the award on stage, Abraham said, "We thank the jury. We are both really grateful to be here."
Abraham said a campaign had been conducted against the film in Israel and that efforts had been made to obscure the facts it presents.
He said, "The truth is that in just the ten days since this festival began, Israel has killed at least six Palestinian children in Gaza. One of them was a three-year-old girl, one was seven years old and was killed with his father in a car, while his two sisters were asleep at home."
Abraham said Israeli intelligence officials interviewed for the film described the killings as systematic rather than incidental, based on deliberate design, acts of killing and policies rooted in what he called the complete dehumanization of Palestinians.
Pointing to the role of Palestinian journalists in documenting events in Gaza, Abraham said the facts had been known and documented from the earliest days.
"We owe this to Palestinian journalists. More than 200 journalists have been killed in Gaza by Israel. They were silenced. We believe that denial of a crime creates the conditions for that crime to continue," he said.
Addressing the film's intended audiences directly, Abraham said, "We want people in our country, the one committing these crimes, and Europeans to watch the film, especially here in Italy, because your government and the German government are blocking the pressure that could end this situation for Israel.
We also want Americans to watch the film, because the United States is the country funding most of these killings. Thank you."
The film's title, "NAZA," refers to an abbreviation used by the Israeli military for civilians, including men, women, and children, whose deaths are anticipated during an attack. The documentary used different interview methods throughout to protect participants.
The documentary was filmed secretly over three years from rooftops in Tel Aviv, and participants' identities, voices, and appearances were digitally altered to protect them.
Participants described a covert surveillance system and undisclosed methods used by the Israeli military in Gaza, including systems used in attacks and long-range bombing. According to participants, artificial intelligence was used to identify potential targets, and buildings believed to house families were bombed regardless.
The film also includes accounts from Israeli military personnel who said they witnessed the deliberate burning of shelters used by residents of Gaza and killings during food distribution.
Some of those who appear in the documentary were identified as having worked in a covert intelligence unit reporting directly to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
