Soldiers' testimony documentary NAZA tops Italian box office as screenings extended

The Gaza documentary by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor drew 266,078 viewers and nearly €2 million in four days in Italy, topping the weekly chart.

NAZA, a documentary about Israel’s killing of civilians in Gaza told through the testimonies of former Israeli soldiers, has become a box office hit in Italy, with some cinemas extending screenings due to high demand.

Director Rachel Szor at the Venice Film Festival (archive)

According to box office tracker Cinetel, the film drew 266,078 viewers between September 28 and October 1 and earned €1,995,949, rising to the top of the week’s most-watched films after opening in more than 400 cinemas nationwide. It has also been screened in several German cities.

Produced by The Guardian and directed by Oscar-winning filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, NAZA won the Special Jury Prize at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on September 12. Its title comes from an Israeli military term for civilians — men, women and children — expected to be killed in a strike.

Director Yuval Abraham (archive)

The award caused an uproar in Israel. Military chief of staff Eyal Zamir ordered officials to identify the soldiers who spoke in the film, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it "antisemitic incitement" and said he would propose a bill to strip citizenship from those who "slander" Israeli soldiers, and Culture Minister Miki Zohar threatened to revoke the directors’ citizenship.