The first official trailer for “NAZA,” the new documentary by Oscar-winning Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, was released Friday, offering the first concentrated glimpse at the anonymous testimony at the heart of the controversial film.
The documentary, filmed over three years and shot largely at night on Tel Aviv rooftops, examines systems and mechanisms that its creators say contributed to the killing of Palestinian civilians during the war in Gaza. It draws in part on investigations previously published by the Hebrew-language outlet Local Call, +972 Magazine and The Guardian.
‘That’s the building I need to strike’: first ‘NAZA’ trailer released
(Video: The Guardian)
In the trailer, anonymous interviewees describe the terminology and procedures used around Israeli strikes. “What is a NAZA?” one asks. “NAZA is the number of people who are going to die in an attack.”
Another describes a change in attitudes after the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre, saying there was a sense that “it doesn’t matter what we do, they deserve it.” The trailer then shifts to descriptions of what one speaker calls a growing “project of targets,” while another says there are details he knows he should discuss but cannot reveal.
“NAZA” premiered at the 83rd Venice Film Festival, where it was the only documentary competing in the festival’s main competition and went on to win the Special Jury Prize.
On Thursday, Abraham and Szor announced with The Guardian that the film would begin a theatrical rollout in 56 territories on Sept. 28 and would later be made available online free of charge.
“Because of the public interest and importance, Rachel and I decided together with The Guardian that ‘NAZA’ will be available online for free, without a time limit, so that anyone can watch it and hear the soldiers’ testimonies,” Abraham wrote.
The filmmakers have also offered the documentary to Israeli cinemas at no cost in the hope of securing screenings in the country alongside its international release.
“At the same time, we approached cinemas in Israel and offered them the film free of charge, in the hope that it will already be screened here, alongside its release in cinemas around the world,” Abraham said.
At the center of the film are interviews with 24 Israeli soldiers and intelligence personnel whose identities have been concealed. They discuss how decisions were made during the Gaza war and the military’s use of various technological systems. The film also revisits investigations Abraham worked on in recent years.
“NAZA” marks another collaboration between Abraham and Szor following “No Other Land,” which won the Academy Award for best documentary feature. Its producers also include British-Jewish filmmaker Jonathan Glazer, the Oscar-winning director of “The Zone of Interest.”