Film industry heavyweights and institutions across the globe have expressed solidarity with Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, the Oscar-winning Israeli directors of the documentary NAZA, after Israel’s culture minister threatened to revoke their citizenship and accused them of treason. The 80-minute documentary, which was produced by The Guardian, won the special jury prize at the Venice Film Festival after receiving a record-breaking standing ovation.
International Film Community Rallies Behind NAZA Directors
The documentary takes its name from an acronym euphemistically used by Israel’s intelligence service to indicate how many civilians it expects to die in an airstrike on Gaza. The film features interviews with 24 Israeli military or intelligence soldiers and officers detailing AI-powered targeting systems used to bombard Gaza. The production builds on previous revelations published between 2023 and 2025 by +972 Magazine, the Hebrew-language outlet Local Call, and The Guardian.
Threats From Israeli Officials and Backlash
Culture Minister Miki Zohar posted on X stating that he would act immediately to revoke the Israeli citizenship of the creators. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also accused the creators of incitement and antisemitism, while the Israeli military stated it was investigating whether confidential information was leaked to the filmmakers. In Ashdod, southern Israel, graffiti depicting the directors alongside the word “traitors” in Hebrew appeared on a wall.
International film festival leadership swifted to condemn the threats. Julie Huntsinger, artistic director of the Telluride film festival, stated that threatening citizenship standing is unacceptable, declaring, This should be condemned by any thinking human.
The heads of the Locarno film festival similarly stated that they stood firmly in support of filmmakers’ rights to pursue difficult subjects without fear of reprisal. Tricia Tuttle, director of the Berlin film festival, added that in a democratic society, the response to art must be dialogue and scrutiny rather than intimidation or punishment by the state.
Israeli Film Industry Petition and Domestic Support
In Israel, more than 1,500 filmmakers and film-industry figures signed a petition supporting Abraham and Szor and rejecting accusations that they sought to damage the country’s reputation. Initiators and signatories of the petition include Liran Atzmor, Nadav Lapid, Orna Ben Dor, Netalie Braun, Rani Blair, Hagai Levi, Shai Carmeli-Pollak, and Shlomi Elkabetz.
The petition warns that the rhetoric directed at the directors could create a physical threat to their safety and calls on supporters of freedom of expression to stand with them.
Upcoming Screenings and Festival Circuit
NAZA is scheduled for screenings across international festivals. The film is set to screen at the San Sebastián film festival, where festival directors stated in a release that the film exposes the systematic genocide of the Palestinian people by the Israeli government and that they stand in solidarity with both the filmmakers and the Palestinian people. The documentary was also slated to show at the Bologna film festival before its North American premiere at the New York film festival later in the month.
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